scholarly journals Expression of Stem Cell and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Markers in Circulating Tumor Cells of Breast Cancer Patients

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia Krawczyk ◽  
Franziska Meier-Stiegen ◽  
Malgorzata Banys ◽  
Hans Neubauer ◽  
Eugen Ruckhaeberle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Tumor Cells ◽  
Circulating Tumor Cells ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Metastatic Breast ◽  
Current Data ◽  
Stem Cell Markers ◽  
Breast Cancer Patients ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition

Evaluation and characterization of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have become a major focus of translational cancer research. Presence of CTCs predicts worse clinical outcome in early and metastatic breast cancer. Whether all cells from the primary tumor have potential to disseminate and form subsequent metastasis remains unclear. As part of the metastatic cascade, tumor cells lose their cell-to-cell adhesion and undergo epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in order to enter blood circulation. During EMT epithelial antigens are downregulated; thus, such tumor cells might elude classical epithelial marker-based detection. Several researchers postulated that some CTCs express stem cell-like phenotype; this might lead to chemoresistance and enhanced metastatic potential of such cells. In the present review, we discuss current data on EMT and stem cell markers in CTCs of breast cancer and their clinical significance.

scholarly journals Heterogeneity of Stemlike Circulating Tumor Cells in Invasive Breast Cancer

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (8) ◽  
pp. 2780 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga E. Savelieva ◽  
Liubov A. Tashireva ◽  
Evgeniya V. Kaigorodova ◽  
Angelina V. Buzenkova ◽  
Rustam Kh. Mukhamedzhanov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Tumor Cells ◽  
Circulating Tumor Cells ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Receptor Expression ◽  
Stem Cell Markers ◽  
Breast Cancer Patients ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Tumor Cell Heterogeneity ◽  
Stromal Cell Derived Factor

The presence of stem and epithelial–mesenchymal-transition (EMT) features in circulating tumor cells (CTCs) determines their invasiveness, adaptability to the microenvironment, and resistance to proapoptotic signals and chemotherapy. It also allows them to fulfil the role of metastatic “seeds”. We evaluated the heterogeneity of stem CTCs by their CD44, ALDH1, and CD133 expression depending on N-cadherin expression in breast-cancer patients. A total of 38 female patients were selected for this study. CTC phenotypes were determined by flow cytometry before any type of treatment. Multiplex immunofluorescence was used for the evaluation of tumor-cell heterogeneity in primary lesions. In patients who had CD44-CD24- CTCs, a subset of cells with the expression of other stem-cell markers (CD133 and ALDH1) were detected. Expression of CD133 and/or ALDH1 may be associated with expression of N-cadherin: all populations of N-cadherin+ CTCs demonstrate stem features; in the absence of N-cadherin expression, true nonstem (CD44-CD24-CD133-ALDH1-) cells are found. The heterogeneity of stem marker expression in CTCs was observed regardless of N-cadherin expression. In our study, stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) receptor expression in CTCs did not depend on stemlike traits, but was instead associated with N-cadherin expression. Subpopulations of tumor cells, detected both in tumors and blood, were identified. Breast cancer was characterized by pronounced interpersonal and intrapersonal heterogeneity of CTCs by the presence and combination of various stem features and N-cadherin expression. To complete the characterization of stemlike features of CTCs, we suggest the simultaneous use of the three stem markers.

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