scholarly journals Is There One Key Step in the Metastatic Cascade?

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 3693
Author(s):  
Antoine M. Dujon ◽  
Jean-Pascal Capp ◽  
Joel S. Brown ◽  
Pascal Pujol ◽  
Robert A. Gatenby ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tumor Cells ◽  
Critical Parameter ◽  
Milky Way ◽  
Survival Duration ◽  
Step Process ◽  
Metastatic Cascade ◽  
Critical Phase ◽  
Metastatic Process ◽  
Parameter Values ◽  
Clinical Metastases

The majority of cancer-related deaths are the result of metastases (i.e., dissemination and establishment of tumor cells at distant sites from the origin), which develop through a multi-step process classically termed the metastatic cascade. The respective contributions of each step to the metastatic process are well described but are also currently not completely understood. Is there, for example, a critical phase that disproportionately affects the probability of the development of metastases in individual patients? Here, we address this question using a modified Drake equation, initially formulated by the astrophysicist Frank Drake to estimate the probability of the emergence of intelligent civilizations in the Milky Way. Using simulations based on realistic parameter values obtained from the literature for breast cancer, we examine, under the linear progression hypothesis, the contribution of each component of the metastatic cascade. Simulations demonstrate that the most critical parameter governing the formation of clinical metastases is the survival duration of circulating tumor cells (CTCs).

scholarly journals Circulating Tumor Cells as a Tool to Untangle the Breast Cancer Heterogeneity Issue

Biomedicines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 1242
Author(s):  
Tania Rossi ◽  
Giulia Gallerani ◽  
Giovanni Martinelli ◽  
Roberta Maltoni ◽  
Francesco Fabbri
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Tumor Cells ◽  
Circulating Tumor Cells ◽  
Selective Advantage ◽  
Therapeutic Strategies ◽  
Tumor Mass ◽  
Metastatic Cascade ◽  
Cancer Heterogeneity ◽  
Metastatic Process

Breast cancer (BC) is a disease characterized by high degrees of heterogeneity at morphologic, genomic, and genetic levels, even within the same tumor mass or among patients. As a consequence, different subpopulations coexist and less represented clones may have a selective advantage, significantly influencing the outcome of BC patients. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) represent a rare population of cells with a crucial role in metastatic cascade, and in recent years have represented a fascinating alternative to overcome the heterogeneity issue as a “liquid biopsy”. However, besides the raw enumeration of these cells in advanced epithelial tumors, there are no CTC-based assays applied in the clinical practice to improve personalized medicine. In this review, we report the latest findings in the field of CTCs for intra-tumoral heterogeneity unmasking in BC, supporting the need to deepen their analysis to investigate their role in metastatic process and include the molecular characterization in the clinical practice. In the future, CTCs will be helpful in monitoring patients during treatment, as well as to better address therapeutic strategies.

scholarly journals Molecular profiling of circulating tumor cells links plasticity to the metastatic process in endometrial cancer

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorena Alonso-Alconada ◽  
Laura Muinelo-Romay ◽  
Kadri Madissoo ◽  
Antonio Diaz-Lopez ◽  
Camilla Krakstad ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endometrial Cancer ◽  
Tumor Cells ◽  
Circulating Tumor Cells ◽  
Molecular Profiling ◽  
Metastatic Process

ANALYTICAL PREDICTION OF THE TWO FIRST PERIOD-DOUBLINGS IN A THREE-DIMENSIONAL SYSTEM

2000 ◽  
Vol 10 (06) ◽  
pp. 1497-1508 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. BELHAQ ◽  
M. HOUSSNI ◽  
E. FREIRE ◽  
A. J. RODRÍGUEZ-LUIS
Keyword(s):  
Periodic Orbit ◽  
Critical Parameter ◽  
Order Approximation ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Period Doubling ◽  
Dimensional System ◽  
Analytical Prediction ◽  
Parameter Values ◽  
Three Dimensional System ◽  
Period Doubling Bifurcations

Analytical study of the two first period-doubling bifurcations in a three-dimensional system is reported. The multiple scales method is first applied to construct a higher-order approximation of the periodic orbit following Hopf bifurcation. The stability analysis of this periodic orbit is then performed in terms of Floquet theory to derive the critical parameter values corresponding to the first and second period-doubling bifurcations. By introducing suitable subharmonic components in the first order of the multiple scale analysis the two critical parameter values are obtained simultaneously solving analytically the resulting system of two algebraic equations. Comparisons of analytic predictions to numerical simulations are also provided.

Dynamic bifurcations in non-stationary systems: transitions with an unpredictable outcome

1995 ◽  
Vol 451 (1942) ◽  
pp. 471-485 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Critical Parameter ◽  
Initial Conditions ◽  
Basins Of Attraction ◽  
Important Concept ◽  
New Form ◽  
Parameter Values ◽  
Dynamic Bifurcations

In nonlinear non-stationary systems, dynamic bifurcations result in a transition to a qualitatively new state. In this paper we examine how the dynamics of transition of such systems may be assessed using the concept of transient basins of attraction. We delineate the phenomenon of indeterminate dynamic bifurcations, where it is shown that the response, after the system passes through critical parameter values, may be extremely sensitive to the choice of initial conditions or parameter states. This new form of unpredictability in systems whose parameters vary with time, is clearly an important concept to be assimilated in the theory of non-stationary dynamics.

Assessment of Critical Parameter Values for H2O and D2O

1985 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 193-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. H. Levelt Sengers ◽  
J. Straub ◽  
K. Watanabe ◽  
P. G. Hill
Keyword(s):  
Critical Parameter ◽  
Parameter Values

scholarly journals A SYSTEM AND A DEVICE FOR ISOLATING CIRCULATING TUMOR CELLS FROM THE PERIPHERAL BLOOD IN VIVO

2015 ◽  
Vol 55 (4) ◽  
pp. 242
Author(s):  
Michal Mego ◽  
Miroslav Kocifaj ◽  
František Kundracik
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Tumor Cells ◽  
Circulating Tumor Cells ◽  
Peripheral Blood ◽  
Magnetic Core ◽  
Metastatic Cascade ◽  
Magnetic Shell ◽  
Rare Cells ◽  
New System

Circulating tumor cells (CTC) play a crucial role in disseminating tumors and in the metastatic cascade. CTCs are found only in small numbers, and the limited amount of isolated CTCs makes it impossible to characterize them closely. This paper presents a proposal for a new system for isolating CTCs from the peripheral blood in vivo. The system enables CTCs to be isolated from the whole blood volume for further research and applications. The proposed system consists of magnetic nanoparticles covered by monoclonal antibodies against a common epithelial antigen, large supermagnets, which are used to control the position of the nanoparticles within the human body, and a special wire made of a magnetic core wrapped in a non-magnetic shell. The system could be used not only for isolating CTCs, but also for in vivo isolation of other rare cells from the peripheral blood, including hematopoietic and/or mesenchymal stem cells, with applications in regenerative medicine and/or in stem cell transplantation.

scholarly journals Circulating tumor cells and serum levels of MMP-2, MMP-9 and VEGF as markers of the metastatic process in patients with high risk of metastatic progression

2017 ◽  
Vol 161 (3) ◽  
pp. 272-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marketa Skerenova ◽  
Veronika Mikulova ◽  
Otakar Capoun ◽  
Tomas Zima ◽  
Petra Tesarova
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Tumor Cells ◽  
Circulating Tumor Cells ◽  
Serum Levels ◽  
Metastatic Progression ◽  
Metastatic Process

scholarly journals Current Applications and Discoveries Related to the Membrane Components of Circulating Tumor Cells and Extracellular Vesicles

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 2221
Author(s):  
Luis Enrique Cortés-Hernández ◽  
Zahra Eslami-S ◽  
Bruno Costa-Silva ◽  
Catherine Alix-Panabières
Keyword(s):  
Nucleic Acids ◽  
Tumor Cells ◽  
Circulating Tumor Cells ◽  
Extracellular Vesicles ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Liquid Biopsy ◽  
Clinical Information ◽  
Phospholipid Membrane ◽  
Membrane Composition ◽  
Metastatic Cascade

In cancer, many analytes can be investigated through liquid biopsy. They play fundamental roles in the biological mechanisms underpinning the metastatic cascade and provide clinical information that can be monitored in real time during the natural course of cancer. Some of these analytes (circulating tumor cells and extracellular vesicles) share a key feature: the presence of a phospholipid membrane that includes proteins, lipids and possibly nucleic acids. Most cell-to-cell and cell-to-matrix interactions are modulated by the cell membrane composition. To understand cancer progression, it is essential to describe how proteins, lipids and nucleic acids in the membrane influence these interactions in cancer cells. Therefore, assessing such interactions and the phospholipid membrane composition in different liquid biopsy analytes might be important for future diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. In this review, we briefly describe some of the most important surface components of circulating tumor cells and extracellular vesicles as well as their interactions, putting an emphasis on how they are involved in the different steps of the metastatic cascade and how they can be exploited by the different liquid biopsy technologies.

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