Mechanisms and pathways of bone metastasis: challenges and pitfalls of performing molecular research on patient samples

ABSTRACT: The molecular mechanisms underlying the development of bone metastases in breast cancer remain unclear. Disseminated tumour cells (DTCs) in the bone marrow of breast cancer patients are commonly identified, even in early stage disease, but their potential to initiate metastases is not known. The mechanism whereby DTCs become overt metastatic tumour cells (MTCs) is therefore, an area of considerable interest. This study explored the analysable yield of genetic material from human biopsy samples in order to describe differences in gene expression between DTCs and bone MTCs. Thirteen breast cancer patients with bone metastases underwent a CT-guided bone metastasis biopsy and a bone marrow biopsy. Tumour cells were enriched and gene expression profiling was conducted to identify differentially

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

SUBMITTER: Dong-Yu Wang 

PROVIDER: E-GEOD-14776 | biostudies-arrayexpress |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-arrayexpress