Concurrent Measurement of Growth and Cell Arrest Markers, Aneuploidy and Estrogen Receptor Status of Circulating Breast Cancer Cells

摘要

The ability to detect carcinoma cells in the circulation of patients with breast cancer using a circulating cancer cell test developed by Cell Works and to characterize the isolated breast cancer cells using state-of-the-art multiple markers provides the ability to determine whether micrometastases have occurred and the progressive nature of the cancer. The test was designed to analyze single cells using immunofluorescence microscopy to produce molecular profiles that may be indicative of the metastatic potential of the breast circulating cancer cells. In particular, nuclear DNA can be quantified by measuring the fluorescence of bound DAPI, a DNA-specific dye, and compare the cancer cell DNA with reference WBCs on the same slide. Simultaneous measurement of g-actin content and DNA aneuploidy at the single cell level by quantitative fluorescence image analysis may be a potential assay for breast cancer risk assessment. Other markers can be assessed concurrently by quantitative immunofluorescence, such as Ki6%, p2%, p53, Her-2/neu, thymidylate synthase, apoptosis, and hormone receptors (estrogen and progesterone), to further characterize the cancer cells. An ultimate goal is to commercialize a diagnostic and prognostic test to provide the patients and physicians with information that may be helpful with early metastatic cancer detection, elimination of lymph node dissection, early responsiveness of patients to hormonal therapy and/or systemic drug therapy.