title: Circulating tumor cells isolation: the "post-EpCAM era".
abstract: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) represent a submicroscopic fraction detached from a primary tumor and in transit to a secondary site. The prognostic significance of CTCs in metastatic cancer patients was demonstrated for the first time more than ten years ago. To date, it seems clear enough that CTCs are highly heterogeneous and dynamically change their shape. Thus, the inadequacy of epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) as universal marker for CTCs detection seems unquestionable and alternative methods able to recognize a broader spectrum of phenotypes are definitely needed. In this review the pleiotropic functions of EpCAM are discussed in detail and the role of the molecule in the biology of CTCs is critically dissected.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Medicina Molecolare, Sapienza Università di Roma, Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Raimondi
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Medicina Molecolare, Sapienza Università di Roma, Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nicolazzo
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Medicina Molecolare, Sapienza Università di Roma, Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gradilone
keywords: EpICD; Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM); circulating tumor cells (CTCs); epithelial-mesenchymal transition