Single-cell DNA sequencing reveals a late-dissemination model in metastatic colorectal cancer.

ABSTRACT: Metastasis is a complex biological process that has been difficult to delineate in human colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. A major obstacle in understanding metastatic lineages is the extensive intra-tumor heterogeneity at the primary and metastatic tumor sites. To address this problem, we developed a highly multiplexed single-cell DNA sequencing approach to trace the metastatic lineages of two CRC patients with matched liver metastases. Single-cell copy number or mutational profiling was performed, in addition to bulk exome and targeted deep-sequencing. In the first patient, we observed monoclonal seeding, in which a single clone evolved a large number of mutations prior to migrating to the liver to establish the metastatic tumor. In the second patient, we observed polyclonal seeding, in

SUBMITTER: Leung ML 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5538546 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature