EpCAM-independent isolation of circulating tumor cells with epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and cancer stem cell phenotypes using ApoStream® in patients with breast cancer treated with primary systemic therapy.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Tumor cells with a mesenchymal phenotype and/or cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) are known to contribute to metastasis and drug resistance. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) undergoing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and CTCs reflecting a dedifferentiated CSC phenotype may not be detected using only an anti-EpCAM antibody to capture them. We used an antibody-independent CTC enrichment platform, ApoStream®, which does not rely on any antibody, including anti-EpCAM, to capture EMT- and CSC-CTCs in breast cancer patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy and correlated them to pathological complete response (pCR).

Methods

Blood samples from newly diagnosed breast cancer patients were prospectively collected before neoadjuvant chemotherapy (T0), after chemothera

SUBMITTER: Le Du F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7098555 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature