CTCs-derived xenograft development in a triple negative breast cancer case

Int J Cancer. 2019 May 1;144(9):2254-2265. doi: 10.1002/ijc.32001. Epub 2018 Dec 16.

Abstract

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is characterized by high rates of metastasis and no available molecular targets. CTCs derived xenografts (CDX) have demonstrated to be a promising tool for understanding cancer biology. In our study, a CDX from a TNBC patient was developed for the first time. After CDX characterization, WNT signaling was found as the main mechanism related with this tumor biology and potential CTCs markers were identified and subsequently validated in TNBC patients. In this cohort high levels of MELK expression were associated with poorer survival rates. Overall, our study demonstrates that CTCs from TNBC are tumorigenic and CDXs are a useful model to obtain valuable information about the tumor.

Keywords: CTCs-derived xenograft (CDX); MELK; circulating tumor cells (CTCs); metastasis; triple-negative breast cancer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Animals
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / metabolism
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Mice, Nude
  • Mice, SCID
  • Neoplasm Transplantation*
  • Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / pathology*
  • Transplantation, Heterologous*
  • Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured
  • Wnt Signaling Pathway / physiology

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor