Recent cancer research has demonstrated the existence of circulating tumor cells(CTCs)in cancer patient’s blood.Once identified,CTC biomarkers will be invaluable tools for clinical diagnosis,prognosis and treatment.I...Recent cancer research has demonstrated the existence of circulating tumor cells(CTCs)in cancer patient’s blood.Once identified,CTC biomarkers will be invaluable tools for clinical diagnosis,prognosis and treatment.In this review,we propose ex vivo culture as a rational strategy for large scale amplification of the limited numbers of CTCs from a patient sample,to derive enough CTCs for accurate and reproducible characterization of the biophysical,biochemical,gene expressional and behavioral properties of the harvested cells.Because of tumor cell heterogeneity,it is important to amplify all the CTCs in a blood sample for a comprehensive understanding of their role in cancer metastasis.By analyzing critical steps and technical issues in ex vivo CTC culture,we developed a cost-effective and reproducible protocol directly culturing whole peripheral blood mononuclear cells,relying on an assumed survival advantage in CTCs and CTC-like cells over the normal cells to amplify this specified cluster of cancer cells.展开更多
One of the major challenges that clinicians face is in the difficulties of accurately monitoring disease progression.Prostate cancer is among these diseases and greatly affects the health of men globally.Circulating t...One of the major challenges that clinicians face is in the difficulties of accurately monitoring disease progression.Prostate cancer is among these diseases and greatly affects the health of men globally.Circulating tumor cells(CTCs)are a rare population of cancer cells that have shed from the primary tumor and entered the peripheral circulation.Not until recently,clinical applications of CTCs have been limited to using enumeration as a prognostic tool in Oncology.However,advances in emerging CTC technologies point toward new applications that could revolutionize the field of prostate cancer.It is now possible to study CTCs as components of a liquid biopsy based on morphological phenotypes,biochemical analyses,and genomic profiling.These advances allow us to gain insight into the heterogeneity and dynamics of cancer biology and to further study the mechanisms behind the evolution of therapeutic resistance.These recent developments utilizing CTCs for clinical applications will greatly impact the future of prostate cancer research and pave the way towards personalized care for men.展开更多
Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is among the leading causes of cancer incidence and mortality worldwide.Surveillance of individuals with cirrhosis or other conditions that confer a high risk of HCC development is essenti...Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is among the leading causes of cancer incidence and mortality worldwide.Surveillance of individuals with cirrhosis or other conditions that confer a high risk of HCC development is essential for early detection and improved overall survival.Biannual ultrasonography with or without alpha-fetoprotein is widely recommended as the standard method for HCC surveillance,but it has limited sensitivity in early disease and may be inadequate in certain individuals.This review article will provide a comprehensive overview of the current landscape of HCC surveillance,including the rationale and indications for HCC surveillance,standard methods for HCC surveillance,and their strengths/limitations.Alternative surveillance methods such as the role of cross-sectional imaging,emerging circulating biomarkers,as well as the problem of under-utilization of HCC surveillance and surveillance-related harms will also be discussed in this review.展开更多
基金This work is supported by US NIH/NCI research grant(2PO1CA098912)edars-Sinai Medical Center Board of Governors Cancer Research Chair(LWKC),and US NIH/NCI(UO1CA198900)(HRT/EMP).
文摘Recent cancer research has demonstrated the existence of circulating tumor cells(CTCs)in cancer patient’s blood.Once identified,CTC biomarkers will be invaluable tools for clinical diagnosis,prognosis and treatment.In this review,we propose ex vivo culture as a rational strategy for large scale amplification of the limited numbers of CTCs from a patient sample,to derive enough CTCs for accurate and reproducible characterization of the biophysical,biochemical,gene expressional and behavioral properties of the harvested cells.Because of tumor cell heterogeneity,it is important to amplify all the CTCs in a blood sample for a comprehensive understanding of their role in cancer metastasis.By analyzing critical steps and technical issues in ex vivo CTC culture,we developed a cost-effective and reproducible protocol directly culturing whole peripheral blood mononuclear cells,relying on an assumed survival advantage in CTCs and CTC-like cells over the normal cells to amplify this specified cluster of cancer cells.
基金The authors would like to extend thanks to the following organizations and groups for their continued support of CTC research efforts at the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute:St.Anthony Fund for Prostate Cancer Discover,CD McKinnon Memorial Fund for Aggressive Variant Prostate Cancers,Michael&Trisha Berns Family Fund for Discovery,Steven Spielberg Family Prostate Cancer Discovery Fund,Prostate Cancer Research Program of the US Department of Defense(W81XWH-11-1-0422)Prostate Cancer Foundation,Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer(1U01CA198900-01)the National Cancer Institute.
文摘One of the major challenges that clinicians face is in the difficulties of accurately monitoring disease progression.Prostate cancer is among these diseases and greatly affects the health of men globally.Circulating tumor cells(CTCs)are a rare population of cancer cells that have shed from the primary tumor and entered the peripheral circulation.Not until recently,clinical applications of CTCs have been limited to using enumeration as a prognostic tool in Oncology.However,advances in emerging CTC technologies point toward new applications that could revolutionize the field of prostate cancer.It is now possible to study CTCs as components of a liquid biopsy based on morphological phenotypes,biochemical analyses,and genomic profiling.These advances allow us to gain insight into the heterogeneity and dynamics of cancer biology and to further study the mechanisms behind the evolution of therapeutic resistance.These recent developments utilizing CTCs for clinical applications will greatly impact the future of prostate cancer research and pave the way towards personalized care for men.
基金funded by the American College of Gastroenterology,grant name“Junior Faculty Development Award”United States Department of Defense,grant number CA191051National Institutes of Health,grant number R01CA246304,R01CA253651,R01CA255727,R21CA235340,and R21CA240887.
文摘Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is among the leading causes of cancer incidence and mortality worldwide.Surveillance of individuals with cirrhosis or other conditions that confer a high risk of HCC development is essential for early detection and improved overall survival.Biannual ultrasonography with or without alpha-fetoprotein is widely recommended as the standard method for HCC surveillance,but it has limited sensitivity in early disease and may be inadequate in certain individuals.This review article will provide a comprehensive overview of the current landscape of HCC surveillance,including the rationale and indications for HCC surveillance,standard methods for HCC surveillance,and their strengths/limitations.Alternative surveillance methods such as the role of cross-sectional imaging,emerging circulating biomarkers,as well as the problem of under-utilization of HCC surveillance and surveillance-related harms will also be discussed in this review.
