title: The isolation and characterization of CTC subsets related to breast cancer dormancy.
abstract: Uncovering CTCs phenotypes offer the promise to dissect their heterogeneity related to metastatic competence. CTC survival rates are highly variable and this can lead to many questions as yet unexplored properties of CTCs responsible for invasion and metastasis vs dormancy. We isolated CTC subsets from peripheral blood of patients diagnosed with or without breast cancer brain metastasis. CTC subsets were selected for EpCAM negativity but positivity for CD44(+)/CD24(-) stem cell signature; along with combinatorial expression of uPAR and int β1, two markers directly implicated in breast cancer dormancy mechanisms. CTC subsets were cultured in vitro generating 3D CTC tumorspheres which were interrogated for biomarker profiling and biological characteristics. We identified proliferative and invasive properties of 3D CTC tumorspheres distinctive upon uPAR/int β1 combinatorial expression. The molecular characterization of uPAR/int β1 CTC subsets may enhance abilities to prospectively identify patients who may be at high risk of developing BCBM.
authors.affiliation: Biomarker Research Program Center, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vishnoi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology &Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Sirisha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Peddibhotla
authors.affiliation: Biomarker Research Program Center, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.affiliation: Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: T Scamardo
authors.affiliation: Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Goldy C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: George
authors.affiliation: Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Biomarker Research Program Center, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX.|Department of Molecular &Cellular Biology and The Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Marchetti
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D000071858:Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D055293:Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator / Q000378:metabolism; D059010:Single-Cell Analysis / Q000379:methods; D018874:Spheroids, Cellular / Q000473:pathology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C499379:EPCAM protein, human; D000071858:Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule; D055293:Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens; C516769:PTPRC protein, human