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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2020

Genomic Analysis of Circulating Tumor Cells at the Single-Cell Level.

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have a great potential for noninvasive diagnosis and real-time monitoring of cancer. A comprehensive evaluation of four whole genome amplification (WGA)/next-generation sequencing workflows for genomic analysis of single CTCs, including PCR-based (GenomePlex and Ampli1), multiple displacement amplification (Repli-g), and hybrid PCR- and multiple displacement amplification-based [multiple annealing and loop-based amplification cycling (MALBAC)] is reported herein. To demonstrate clinical utilities, copy number variations (CNVs) in single CTCs isolated from four patients with squamous non-small-cell lung cancer were profiled. Results indicate that MALBAC and Repli-g WGA have significantly broader genomic coverage compared with GenomePlex and Ampli1. Furthermore, MALBAC coupled with low-pass whole genome sequencing has better coverage breadth, uniformity, and reproducibility and is superior to Repli-g for genome-wide CNV profiling and detecting focal oncogenic amplifications. For mutation analysis, none of the WGA methods were found to achieve sufficient sensitivity and specificity by whole exome sequencing. Finally, profiling of single CTCs from patients with non-small-cell lung cancer revealed potentially clinically relevant CNVs. In conclusion, MALBAC WGA coupled with low-pass whole genome sequencing is a robust workflow for genome-wide CNV profiling at single-cell level and has great potential to be applied in clinical investigations. Nevertheless, data suggest that none of the evaluated single-cell sequencing workflows can reach sufficient sensitivity or specificity for mutation detection required for clinical applications.

Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung↗
PubMed2014

Single cell mutational analysis of PIK3CA in circulating tumor cells and metastases in breast cancer reveals heterogeneity, discordance, and mutation persistence in cultured disseminated tumor cells from bone marrow.

BACKGROUND: Therapeutic decisions in cancer are generally guided by molecular biomarkers or, for some newer therapeutics, primary tumor genotype. However, because biomarkers or genotypes may change as new metastases emerge, circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from blood are being investigated for a role in guiding real-time drug selection during disease progression, expecting that CTCs will comprehensively represent the full spectrum of genomic changes in metastases. However, information is limited regarding mutational heterogeneity among CTCs and metastases in breast cancer as discerned by single cell analysis. The presence of disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) in bone marrow also carry prognostic significance in breast cancer, but with variability between CTC and DTC detection. Here we analyze a series of single tumor cells, CTCs, and DTCs for PIK3CA mutations and report CTC and corresponding metastatic genotypes. METHODS: We used the MagSweeper, an immunomagnetic separation device, to capture live single tumor cells from breast cancer patients' primary and metastatic tissues, blood, and bone marrow. Single cells were screened for mutations in exons 9 and 20 of the PIK3CA gene. Captured DTCs grown in cell culture were also sequenced for PIK3CA mutations. RESULTS: Among 242 individual tumor cells isolated from 17 patients and tested for mutations, 48 mutated tumor cells were identified in three patients. Single cell analyses revealed mutational heterogeneity among CTCs and tumor cells in tissues. In a patient followed serially, there was mutational discordance between CTCs, DTCs, and metastases, and among CTCs isolated at different time points. DTCs from this patient propagated in vitro contained a PIK3CA mutation, which was maintained despite morphological changes during 21 days of cell culture. CONCLUSIONS: Single cell analysis of CTCs can demonstrate genotypic heterogeneity, changes over time, and discordance from DTCs and distant metastases. We present a cautionary case showing that CTCs from any single blood draw do not always reflect metastatic genotype, and that CTC and DTC analyses may provide independent clinical information. Isolated DTCs remain viable and can be propagated in culture while maintaining their original mutational status, potentially serving as a future resource for investigating new drug therapies.

Bone Marrow↗
PubMed2026

Establishment of a multi-targeted magnetic combined enrichment system for circulating tumor cells in gastric cancer and analysis of their genomic profiles.

Background: This study aims to establish an efficient Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) multi-targeted magnetic combined sorting system for Gastric cancer (GC), while comparing it with tissue and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) samples to evaluate its feasibility and consistency for genomic profiling analysis. Method: Establish an efficient CTCs sorting system for GC targeting epithelial cell adhesion molecule, cell surface vimentin, and protein tyrosine kinase 7, and evaluate its physicochemical properties and cell capture efficiency. Assess the feasibility of tumor cell detection through animal experiments. Sixty-eight GC patients underwent CTCs detection. Clinical information was analyzed to evaluate the clinical utility of CTCs in the auxiliary diagnosis of GC. Next-generation sequencing was performed on GC tissue, CTCs, and ctDNA samples to assess the consistency of genetic mutations across different sample types. Results: The constructed CTCs sorting system exhibits excellent physicochemical properties, achieving a capture rate of 94.68%. Animal studies confirm a positive correlation between tumor cells count and tumor volume. The number of CTCs in the blood of GC patients is significantly correlated with tumor size, stage, and metastasis. The CTCs count in GC patients is significantly higher than in healthy individuals and high-risk groups for cancer, with diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of 97.29% and 97.73%, respectively. The mutation detection rate in CTCs samples was significantly higher than that in tissue and ctDNA samples. The concordance rate between CTCs and tissue mutations was 24.32%, while the concordance rate between CTCs and ctDNA mutations was 19.05%. Conclusion: This study successfully established a multi-target combined CTCs multi-targeted magnetic combined sorting system for GC. CTCs detection based on this system can be used for the auxiliary diagnosis of GC patients. Furthermore, compared to GC tissue and ctDNA samples, CTCs detection enables more comprehensive genomic profiling analysis and serves as an important supplement to GC genomic analysis.

Humans↗
PubMed2026

Circulating tumor cells identify a disseminated genomic high-risk phenotype within IMS-IMWG 2025 staging in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma.

The 2025 IMS-IMWG consensus genomic staging (CGS) system has improved genomic risk stratification in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM), yet does not capture whether high-risk clones have acquired a disseminated phenotype. We investigated whether circulating tumor cells (CTC) refine CGS and enable longitudinal residual disease monitoring. We retrospectively analyzed 631 MM patients from the NICHE cohort (NCT04645199) who underwent CTC assessment across disease phases. Among 410 patients assessed at diagnosis, CTC were detectable in 63.9% and correlated with both bone marrow plasma cell infiltration and accumulation of high-risk cytogenetic abnormalities. In 359 NDMM patients with adequate follow-up, a cohort-derived CTC threshold of 0.38% independently predicted inferior progression-free survival (PFS) after multivariable adjustment. Importantly, CTC refined prognostic stratification specifically within the CGS high-risk subgroup. Patients with CGS high-risk/CTC-high disease had the shortest PFS, thereby defining a disseminated genomic high-risk phenotype comprising 12.4% (39/314) of evaluable NDMM patients. In follow-up cohorts, detectable CTC were associated with inferior outcomes in 127 patients assessed during non-progressive disease states, whereas combined CTC and bone marrow minimal residual disease assessment stratified outcomes in 120 patients with paired measurements. Overall, CTC-integrated CGS supports minimally invasive baseline risk stratification and longitudinal disease monitoring.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1979

Quantitative study on the liberation of tumor cells into the circulating blood.

A study was undertaken to investigate the mechanism of liberation of tumor cells into the blood stream in connection with the process of tumor growth, using three strains of ascites tumor such as Yoshida sarcoma (YS) with infiltrative growth pattern, AH100B with expansive one, and AH109A with intermediate one. For this experiment, a new method for the quantitation of the number of circulating tumor cells was devised. From its results, it was concluded as follows: (1) Tumor cells appear first in the circulating blood at the transitional phase from logarithmic growth to declining growth. (2) Tumor size is a macroscopical index of the risk of the liberation of tumor cells into the blood stream. (3) Tumor necrosis is a histological sign suggesting that the tumor growth phase is declining, namely, that hematogenous dissemination of tumor cells has begun already. (4) There is a striking difference in the frequency and number of tumor cells in the venous blood among these three tumor strains. The tumour strains in order of the number of the circulating tumor cells are YS, AH109A, and AH100B. (5) In YS and AH109A, the transition of the number of tumor cells liberated into the blood stream is closely related to the growth process of tumor tissue. (6) Liberated cells of AH109A and AH100B disappear promptly from the blood stream.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

[Walker's 256 carcinosarcoma: metastatic dissemination in two cell lines (author's transl)].

Walker's 256 carcinosarcoma a transplantable tumor of the rate changes its behaviour as a consequence of various factors. In this paper we compare the evolution of 2 lines of the tumor: WM 16 (muscular) and Christ Hospital (ascitic) both inoculated intramuscularly. Animals receiving line WM 16 had a severe rapidly progressive evolution dying around day 14 after inoculation with diffuse metastases to lymph nodes (65% of animals), kidneys (53%), spleen (50%), lungs (46.5%), liver (45%), bone marrow (44.8%), in 56% of the animals there were circulating tumoral cells. Animals receiving Christ Hospital line survived up to 40 days, metastases were limited do lungs (48.7%) and lymph nodes (31.7%) and only in 2 of 45 animals circulating tumoral cells were observed.

Animals↗
PubMed2025

Mismatch-introduced crRNA guided PCR-CRISPR/Cas12a platform improves EGFR point mutation detection in single tumor cell.

Dynamic monitoring of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations is essential for the early identification of resistance and treatment adaptation. Single-cell heterogeneity analysis is crucial for precision cancer medicine, yet sensitive and specific detection methods for individual tumor cells remain challenging. Here, we develop a PCR-CRISPR/Cas12a platform enhanced by the incorporation of mismatched base in crRNA at specific site for single-cell point mutation detection. This platform demonstrated high specificity and sensitivity, detecting point mutation at a frequency of 0.1% and in as low as 1.02 ng of genomic DNA, which represents an improvement over the amplification-refractory mutation system PCR (ARMS-PCR). Notably, the accuracy of the platform is highly consistent with next-generation sequencing (NGS), as evidenced by Kappa test values surpassing 0.9. By utilizing a conical-pore membrane with optimized porosity for single circulating tumor cell (CTC) enrichment, our platform enables point mutations detection in individual tumor cells, offering potential enhancements in precision and reliability for EGFR mutation analysis. This novel methodology holds potential for more accurate and personalized cancer treatment strategies.

Humans↗
PubMed2026

Baseline Plasma Cell-Free and Circulating Tumor DNA Across Lymphoma Subtypes and Its Prognostic Impact in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma.

BACKGROUND: Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) analysis enables real‑time assessment of the tumor burden and genomic complexity in lymphomas. However, real‑world evidence across lymphoma subtypes is limited. METHODS: We analyzed cell‑free DNA (cfDNA) and ctDNA data from 336 consecutive patients with newly diagnosed Hodgkin or non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2022 and evaluated their prognostic impact in diffuse large B‑cell lymphoma (DLBCL). RESULTS: We detected somatic alterations in 248 of 336 patients (73.8%). DLBCL and follicular lymphoma showed the highest variant prevalences and ctDNA burdens. Epigenetic regulators, including KMT2D, CREBBP, TET2, and HIST1H1E, constituted the dominant class of genes with recurrent alterations. Plasma variant profiles closely mirrored publicly available, tissue‑based next-generation sequencing datasets. The baseline ctDNA burden correlated with adverse clinical features, and ctDNA positivity was associated with failure to achieve complete remission. In DLBCL, elevated cfDNA (top quartile) and a high International Prognostic Index (IPI) were independently associated with shorter overall and progression‑free survival. However, the total variant count per patient was not significantly associated with survival after adjustment. CONCLUSIONS: Baseline plasma cfDNA and ctDNA assessments are feasible in routine practice and recapitulate tissue-variant landscapes. Elevated cfDNA concentrations-but not the total variant count-were independently associated with survival in DLBCL, providing prognostic information beyond the IPI and supporting integration of plasma-based biomarkers into multiparameter risk models. Gene‑level ctDNA associations should be regarded as exploratory and hypothesis‑generating.

Cell-free DNA↗
PubMed2026

Liquid biopsy-based detection of circulating and exfoliated cholangiocarcinoma tumor cells from blood and bile using heparan sulfate octasaccharides on integrated microfluidic systems.

Early diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) remains challenging because existing diagnostic approaches often lack sufficient sensitivity for reliable detection of early-stage disease. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in blood and exfoliated tumor cells (ETCs) in bile represent valuable targets for liquid biopsy-based detection; however, their low abundance and the complexity of clinical sample analysis pose substantial technical challenges for reliable enrichment and identification. Herein, we present a reproducible workflow for isolating and identifying CCA tumor cells from blood for CTCs and bile for ETCs using synthetic cell-surface heparan sulfate (HS) octasaccharide-functionalized magnetic beads (MBs) on integrated microfluidic systems. The method combined sample pre-processing, magnetic bead-based enrichment, controlled low-shear mixing and immunofluorescence-based identification into a unified workflow compatible with distinct clinical sample types. Key operational parameters, including MB concentration, mixing frequency, and pressure settings, were detailed to facilitate consistent performance. Using this workflow, tumor cell capture rates of approximately 70% in bile (for ETCs) and blood (for CTCs) were achieved, with a total processing time of 60-90 min per sample under clinically relevant low-abundance conditions. The platform enables reliable detection of as few as 1 tumor cell per mL of blood or bile. This method provides a practical and adaptable strategy for glycosaminoglycan-mediated liquid biopsy applications and may be extended to other tumor-cell enrichment workflows involving heterogeneous cell-surface interactions.

Humans↗
PubMed1977

Carcinocythemia (carcinoma cell leukemia) due to metastatic carcinoma of the breast: report of a case.

A patient with a 17-year course of metastatic lobular carcinoma of the breast is described who developed large numbers of circulating carcinoma cells which were easily detectable in several routine peripheral blood smears shortly before death. This rare complication of carcinoma has been called "carcinocythemia." Carcinocythemia is probably due to widespread infiltration of many bone marrow sites and may also be related to splenectomy, which may impair reticuloendothelial clearance of circulating tumor cells. The differential diagnosis of carcinocythemia from superimposed acute myelogenous leukemia, which can complicate radiotherapy and chemotherapy for the primary tumor, is discussed. Cytomorphology, histochemistry, and electron microscopy of abnormal circulating cells should aid in the distinction of these two processes.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1978

Initial tumor cell arrest in animals of defined coagulative status.

Experiments were made to evaluate the potential role played by thrombogenic factors on the hematogenous arrest of circulating tumor cells in mice with demonstrable coagulopathies associated with the presence of a primary tumor, by administration of "therapeutic" doses of anticoagulants. The effects of warfarin, aspirin and heparin administration on the early arrest patterns of 125IdUrd-labelled TA3 carcinoma and Gardner lymphosarcoma cells injected intravenously into tumor-bearing mice were examined. Several hematologic parameters of carcinoma- and lymphosarcoma-bearing animals were measured prior to anticoagulation experiments and the results indicated that mice had coagulopathies similar to those found in cancer patients with disseminated intravascular coagulation syndrome, i.e., thrombocytopenia and elevated fibrinogen levels. Despite the presence of coagulation abnormalities and effective anticoagulation in recipient animals, all three agents were without effect on localization patterns of both tumor types. It was concluded that the proposed involvement of thrombogenesis in metastasis was probably not due to any role played by those clotting factors inhibited by aspirin, warfarin and heparin in early intravascular tumor cell arrest.

Animals↗
PubMed2021

Dissecting spatial heterogeneity and the immune-evasion mechanism of CTCs by single-cell RNA-seq in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Little is known about the transcriptomic plasticity and adaptive mechanisms of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) during hematogeneous dissemination. Here we interrogate the transcriptome of 113 single CTCs from 4 different vascular sites, including hepatic vein (HV), peripheral artery (PA), peripheral vein (PV) and portal vein (PoV) using single-cell full-length RNA sequencing in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. We reveal that the transcriptional dynamics of CTCs were associated with stress response, cell cycle and immune-evasion signaling during hematogeneous transportation. Besides, we identify chemokine CCL5 as an important mediator for CTC immune evasion. Mechanistically, overexpression of CCL5 in CTCs is transcriptionally regulated by p38-MAX signaling, which recruites regulatory T cells (Tregs) to facilitate immune escape and metastatic seeding of CTCs. Collectively, our results reveal a previously unappreciated spatial heterogeneity and an immune-escape mechanism of CTC, which may aid in designing new anti-metastasis therapeutic strategies in HCC.

Aged↗
PubMed1978

Antibody-linked cytotoxic agents in the treatment of cancer: current status and future prospects.

Antibodies against tumor cell surface antigens have been used as selective carriers of anticancer drugs, which themselves lack selectivity. Although such antibodies have been demonstrated in tumor hosts, xenogeneic antitumor sera should provide larger yields of better-defined antitumor antibodies for therapeutic purposes. This review examined factors that influence the immune response to tumor-associated transplantation antigens (TATA) and the methods for rendering tumor cells more immunogenic. Consideration was also given to techniques for elimination of irrelevant immunoglobulin molecules. These could involve purification of both antitumor sera and TATA fractions for immunization, as well as tailoring of the immunization protocol. Various toxic agents that have been linked to antitumor globulins with retention of agent and antibody activity were tabulated: alkylating drugs, antibiotics, antimetabolites, cell surface agents, protein synthesis inhibitors, and unconventional anticancer agents that selectively convert nontoxic arsenicals or halides into cytocidal derivatives. The methods by which effective conjugates can be produced and their possible mode of action were described for the different types of agents. Several problems inherent in this modality of tumor therapy include: 1) the necessity of binding therapeutically effective amounts of antitumor agent, 2) ensuring of delivery of drug in active form to target sites, 3) avoidance of host reactions to foreign proteins, and 4) possible emergence of resistant tumor cell populations. Antibody-linked cytotoxic agents may find their greatest use in the eradication of small numbers of circulating tumor cells and micrometastases remaining after removal of primary tumors.

Alkylating Agents↗
PubMed1976

[About tumor cell findings in the peripheral venous blood, blood-borne metastases and the incidence of thromboembolic episodes in patients with carcinoma of various localisations (author's transl)].

In a retrospective study the frequency distribution of positive screenings for free-floating cancer cells in the peripheral venous blood of patients with cancers of the larynx, the abdomen and the lung was related to the frequency of blood-borne metastases and the incidence of thromboembolic episodes within 5 years of observation. Carcinomas of the larynx which were characterized by a very low frequency of blood-borne metastases are related with a high level of free-floating cancer cells in the venous blood. In contrast abdominal and lung cancers have a high frequency of blood-borne metastases, but a lower level of circulating cancer cells in the peripheral venous blood. Also there is a significant correlation between the initial presence of circulating cancer cells and the incidence of thromboembolic episodes in patients with abdominal and lung cancers, in contrast to patient with cancers of the larynx who lack this coincidence. On the basis of our observation we assume that the circulating tumor cells of the patients with abdominal and lung cancers have a high stickiness, therefore displaying a strong tendency to attach to the vascular endothelium. Only lodged cancer cells are able to penetrate the vessel wall and to develop metastases in the interstitial tissue. Remote and more or less generalized effects of cancer on blood coagulation are observed. In certain instances a disseminated intravascular coagulation results, almost exclusively due to remote effects of clotting factors elaborated by cancer cells, sometimes leading to micro- or macrothrombosis.

Abdominal Neoplasms↗
PubMed2026

Frequent mutations in the BIRC3 gene promote metastatic potential of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells through the TRAF2-NF-κB pathway.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a head and neck cancer characterized by highly locoregionally invasive behavior attributable to the latent infection with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and genomic instability. It is well established that EBV-encoded oncogenic molecules actively contribute to the malignant behavior of NPC cells. However, the mechanism by which aberrant genomic alterations enable NPC cells to become aggressive remains largely unknown. In the present study, whole-exome sequencing (WES) revealed that the gene encoding the baculoviral IAP repeat-containing 3 (BIRC3) protein was frequently mutated in circulating tumor cells (CTCs) but not in paired primary tumor cells from patients with metastatic NPC. A minigene assay indicated that the c.637 A > G mutation disrupted normal mRNA splicing, resulting in the partial deletion of Exons 2 and 3 and altered stability of BIRC3 mRNA. In vitro experiments demonstrated that ectopic expression of the BIRC3c.637A>G mutant enhanced NPC cell invasive properties, including proliferation, resistance to apoptosis, migration, and invasion. Furthermore, overexpression of wild-type BIRC3 promoted invasive characteristics in NPC cells through the TRAF2-NF-κB signaling axis. In summary, BIRC3 acts as a regulator of the malignant features of NPC cells. Frequent BIRC3 mutations in CTCs, such as the c.637 A > G mutation, further enhance the metastatic potential of disseminated NPC cells by inducing aberrant alternative splicing. These findings suggest the therapeutic feasibility of targeting the BIRC3/TRAF2/NF-κB axis in the treatment of NPC.

Humans↗