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Feliciello G, Czyz ZT, Polzer BM. Array-Based Comparative Genomic Hybridization for the Detection of Copy Number Alterations in Single Cells. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2752:167-187. [PMID: 38194034 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3621-3_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
Comprehensive genome-wide analyses of single cells represent an important tool for clinical applications, such as pre-implantation diagnostic and prenatal diagnosis, as well as for cancer research purpose. For the latter, studies of tumor heterogeneity, circulating tumor cells (CTCs), and disseminated cancer cells (DCCs) require the analysis of single-cell genomes. Here we describe a reliable and robust array-based comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) protocol based on Ampli 1™ whole genome amplification that allows the detection of copy number alterations (CNAs) in single cancer cells as small as 100 kb.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giancarlo Feliciello
- Cellular and Molecular Diagnostics Group, Division of Personalized Cancer Therapy, Fraunhofer Institute of Toxicology and Experimental Medicine ITEM-R, Regensburg, Germany.
| | - Zbigniew Tadeusz Czyz
- Experimental Medicine and Therapy Research, University Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Bernhard M Polzer
- Cellular and Molecular Diagnostics Group, Division of Personalized Cancer Therapy, Fraunhofer Institute of Toxicology and Experimental Medicine ITEM-R, Regensburg, Germany
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2
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Dissecting Molecular Heterogeneity of Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs) from Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients through Copy Number Aberration (CNA) and Single Nucleotide Variant (SNV) Single Cell Analysis. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14163925. [PMID: 36010918 PMCID: PMC9405921 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14163925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Circulating tumor cells' (CTCs) heterogeneity contributes to counteract their introduction in clinical practice. Through single-cell sequencing we aim at exploring CTC heterogeneity in metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients. Single CTCs were isolated using DEPArray NxT. After whole genome amplification, libraries were prepared for copy number aberration (CNA) and single nucleotide variant (SNV) analysis and sequenced using Ion GeneStudio S5 and Illumina MiSeq, respectively. CTCs demonstrate distinctive mutational signatures but retain molecular traces of their common origin. CNA profiling identifies frequent aberrations involving critical genes in pathogenesis: gains of 1q (CCND1) and 11q (WNT3A), loss of 22q (CHEK2). The longitudinal single-CTC analysis allows tracking of clonal selection and the emergence of resistance-associated aberrations, such as gain of a region in 12q (CDK4). A group composed of CTCs from different patients sharing common traits emerges. Further analyses identify losses of 15q and enrichment of terms associated with pseudopodium formation as frequent and exclusive events. CTCs from MBC patients are heterogeneous, especially concerning their mutational status. The single-cell analysis allows the identification of aberrations associated with resistance, and is a candidate tool to better address treatment strategy. The translational significance of the group populated by similar CTCs should be elucidated.
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Multiparametric Circulating Tumor Cell Analysis to Select Targeted Therapies for Breast Cancer Patients. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13236004. [PMID: 34885114 PMCID: PMC8657376 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13236004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Liquid biopsies may act as a dynamic tool for identification of targets for precision therapy while circumventing limitations of tissue biopsies. In opposite to most liquid biopsy-related studies that analyze limited patient material for only one parameter, this study is based on a longitudinal and multiparametric analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs). A metastatic breast cancer patient was followed over a period of three years and analyses of the genome, RNA profiling, and in vitro drug testing on cultured CTCs were performed in a unique manner. We show that combining the strengths of multiple technologies for analysis yielded maximum information on the ongoing disease and, eventually, allowed choosing an effective therapy, which led to a massive reduction in CTC numbers. This approach provides a concept for future detailed longitudinal and multiparametric CTC analyses. Abstract Background: The analysis of liquid biopsies, e.g., circulating tumor cells (CTCs) is an appealing diagnostic concept for targeted therapy selection. In this proof-of-concept study, we aimed to perform multiparametric analyses of CTCs to select targeted therapies for metastatic breast cancer patients. Methods: First, CTCs of five metastatic breast cancer patients were analyzed by whole exome sequencing (WES). Based on the results, one patient was selected and monitored by longitudinal and multiparametric liquid biopsy analyses over more than three years, including WES, RNA profiling, and in vitro drug testing of CTCs. Results: Mutations addressable by targeted therapies were detected in all patients, including mutations that were not detected in biopsies of the primary tumor. For the index patient, the clonal evolution of the tumor cells was retraced and resistance mechanisms were identified. The AKT1 E17K mutation was uncovered as the driver of the metastatic process. Drug testing on the patient’s CTCs confirmed the efficacy of drugs targeting the AKT1 pathway. During a targeted therapy chosen based on the CTC characterization and including the mTOR inhibitor everolimus, CTC numbers dropped by 97.3% and the disease remained stable as determined by computer tomography/magnetic resonance imaging. Conclusion: These results illustrate the strength of a multiparametric CTC analysis to choose and validate targeted therapies to optimize cancer treatment in the future. Furthermore, from a scientific point of view, such studies promote the understanding of the biology of CTCs during different treatment regimens.
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4
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Mukha A, Kahya U, Linge A, Chen O, Löck S, Lukiyanchuk V, Richter S, Alves TC, Peitzsch M, Telychko V, Skvortsov S, Negro G, Aschenbrenner B, Skvortsova II, Mirtschink P, Lohaus F, Hölscher T, Neubauer H, Rivandi M, Labitzky V, Lange T, Franken A, Behrens B, Stoecklein NH, Toma M, Sommer U, Zschaeck S, Rehm M, Eisenhofer G, Schwager C, Abdollahi A, Groeben C, Kunz-Schughart LA, Baretton GB, Baumann M, Krause M, Peitzsch C, Dubrovska A. GLS-driven glutamine catabolism contributes to prostate cancer radiosensitivity by regulating the redox state, stemness and ATG5-mediated autophagy. Theranostics 2021; 11:7844-7868. [PMID: 34335968 PMCID: PMC8315064 DOI: 10.7150/thno.58655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Radiotherapy is one of the curative treatment options for localized prostate cancer (PCa). The curative potential of radiotherapy is mediated by irradiation-induced oxidative stress and DNA damage in tumor cells. However, PCa radiocurability can be impeded by tumor resistance mechanisms and normal tissue toxicity. Metabolic reprogramming is one of the major hallmarks of tumor progression and therapy resistance. Specific metabolic features of PCa might serve as therapeutic targets for tumor radiosensitization and as biomarkers for identifying the patients most likely to respond to radiotherapy. The study aimed to characterize a potential role of glutaminase (GLS)-driven glutamine catabolism as a prognostic biomarker and a therapeutic target for PCa radiosensitization. Methods: We analyzed primary cell cultures and radioresistant (RR) derivatives of the conventional PCa cell lines by gene expression and metabolic assays to identify the molecular traits associated with radiation resistance. Relative radiosensitivity of the cell lines and primary cell cultures were analyzed by 2-D and 3-D clonogenic analyses. Targeting of glutamine (Gln) metabolism was achieved by Gln starvation, gene knockdown, and chemical inhibition. Activation of the DNA damage response (DDR) and autophagy was assessed by gene expression, western blotting, and fluorescence microscopy. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the ratio of reduced glutathione (GSH) to oxidized glutathione (GSSG) were analyzed by fluorescence and luminescence probes, respectively. Cancer stem cell (CSC) properties were investigated by sphere-forming assay, CSC marker analysis, and in vivo limiting dilution assays. Single circulating tumor cells (CTCs) isolated from the blood of PCa patients were analyzed by array comparative genome hybridization. Expression levels of the GLS1 and MYC gene in tumor tissues and amino acid concentrations in blood plasma were correlated to a progression-free survival in PCa patients. Results: Here, we found that radioresistant PCa cells and prostate CSCs have a high glutamine demand. GLS-driven catabolism of glutamine serves not only for energy production but also for the maintenance of the redox state. Consequently, glutamine depletion or inhibition of critical regulators of glutamine utilization, such as GLS and the transcription factor MYC results in PCa radiosensitization. On the contrary, we found that a combination of glutamine metabolism inhibitors with irradiation does not cause toxic effects on nonmalignant prostate cells. Glutamine catabolism contributes to the maintenance of CSCs through regulation of the alpha-ketoglutarate (α-KG)-dependent chromatin-modifying dioxygenase. The lack of glutamine results in the inhibition of CSCs with a high aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity, decreases the frequency of the CSC populations in vivo and reduces tumor formation in xenograft mouse models. Moreover, this study shows that activation of the ATG5-mediated autophagy in response to a lack of glutamine is a tumor survival strategy to withstand radiation-mediated cell damage. In combination with autophagy inhibition, the blockade of glutamine metabolism might be a promising strategy for PCa radiosensitization. High blood levels of glutamine in PCa patients significantly correlate with a shorter prostate-specific antigen (PSA) doubling time. Furthermore, high expression of critical regulators of glutamine metabolism, GLS1 and MYC, is significantly associated with a decreased progression-free survival in PCa patients treated with radiotherapy. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that GLS-driven glutaminolysis is a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for PCa radiosensitization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Mukha
- OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Germany
- Institute of Radiooncology - OncoRay, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) Dresden, Germany
| | - Uğur Kahya
- OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Germany
- Institute of Radiooncology - OncoRay, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) Dresden, Germany
| | - Annett Linge
- OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Dresden, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Partner Site Dresden, Germany
| | - Oleg Chen
- OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Germany
- Department of Cell Signaling, Institute of Cell Biology, NAS of Ukraine, Lviv, Ukraine
| | - Steffen Löck
- OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Dresden, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
| | - Vasyl Lukiyanchuk
- OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Germany
- Institute of Radiooncology - OncoRay, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) Dresden, Germany
| | - Susan Richter
- Institute for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
| | - Tiago C Alves
- Department for Clinical Pathobiochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
| | - Mirko Peitzsch
- Institute for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
| | - Vladyslav Telychko
- OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Germany
| | - Sergej Skvortsov
- Department of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
- EXTRO-Lab, Tyrolean Cancer Research Institute, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Giulia Negro
- Department of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
- EXTRO-Lab, Tyrolean Cancer Research Institute, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Bertram Aschenbrenner
- Department of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
- EXTRO-Lab, Tyrolean Cancer Research Institute, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Ira-Ida Skvortsova
- Department of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
- EXTRO-Lab, Tyrolean Cancer Research Institute, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Peter Mirtschink
- Institute for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
| | - Fabian Lohaus
- OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Dresden, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
| | - Tobias Hölscher
- OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Germany
- Department of Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Partner Site Dresden, Germany
| | - Hans Neubauer
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical Faculty and University Hospital of the Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Mahdi Rivandi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical Faculty and University Hospital of the Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Vera Labitzky
- Institute of Anatomy and Experimental Morphology, Center for Experimental Medicine, University Cancer Center Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany
| | - Tobias Lange
- Institute of Anatomy and Experimental Morphology, Center for Experimental Medicine, University Cancer Center Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany
| | - André Franken
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical Faculty and University Hospital of the Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Bianca Behrens
- General, Visceral and Paediatric Surgery, University Hospital and Medical Faculty of the Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Nikolas H Stoecklein
- General, Visceral and Paediatric Surgery, University Hospital and Medical Faculty of the Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Marieta Toma
- Institute of Pathology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Institute of Pathology, Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ulrich Sommer
- Institute of Pathology, Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Sebastian Zschaeck
- OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Dresden, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
| | - Maximilian Rehm
- OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Dresden, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
| | - Graeme Eisenhofer
- Institute for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
| | - Christian Schwager
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Heidelberg Ion-Beam Therapy Center (HIT), Department of Radiation Oncology, Heidelberg University Hospital (UKHD), National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Heidelberg, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) Core Center, Clinical Cooperation Units (CCU) Translational Radiation Oncology and Radiation Oncology, Heidelberg, Germany
- Heidelberg Institute of Radiation Oncology (HIRO), National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology (NCRO), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and Heidelberg University Hospital (UKHD), Heidelberg, Germany
- Division of Molecular and Translational Radiation Oncology, Heidelberg Medical Faculty (HDMF), Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Amir Abdollahi
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Heidelberg Ion-Beam Therapy Center (HIT), Department of Radiation Oncology, Heidelberg University Hospital (UKHD), National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Heidelberg, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) Core Center, Clinical Cooperation Units (CCU) Translational Radiation Oncology and Radiation Oncology, Heidelberg, Germany
- Heidelberg Institute of Radiation Oncology (HIRO), National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology (NCRO), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and Heidelberg University Hospital (UKHD), Heidelberg, Germany
- Division of Molecular and Translational Radiation Oncology, Heidelberg Medical Faculty (HDMF), Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christer Groeben
- Department of Urology, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Leoni A Kunz-Schughart
- OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Partner Site Dresden, Germany
| | - Gustavo B Baretton
- Institute of Pathology, Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Michael Baumann
- OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
| | - Mechthild Krause
- OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Germany
- Institute of Radiooncology - OncoRay, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) Dresden, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Dresden, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Partner Site Dresden, Germany
| | - Claudia Peitzsch
- OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Dresden, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Partner Site Dresden, Germany
| | - Anna Dubrovska
- OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Germany
- Institute of Radiooncology - OncoRay, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) Dresden, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Dresden, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Partner Site Dresden, Germany
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Kolinsky MP, Stoecklein N, Lambros M, Gil V, Rodrigues DN, Carreira S, Zafeiriou Z, de Bono JS. Genetic Analysis of Circulating Tumour Cells. Recent Results Cancer Res 2020; 215:57-76. [PMID: 31605223 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-26439-0_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The classification of human cancers has traditionally relied on the tissue of origin, the histologic appearance and anatomical extent of disease, otherwise referred to as grade and stage. However, this system fails to explain the highly variable clinical behaviour seen for any one cancer. Molecular characterization through techniques such as next-generation sequencing (NGS) has led to an appreciation of the extreme genetic heterogeneity that underlies most human cancers. Because of the difficulties associated with fresh tissue biopsy, interest has increased in using circulating tumour material, such as circulating tumour cells (CTCs), as a non-invasive way to access tumour tissue. CTC enumeration has been demonstrated to have prognostic value in metastatic breast, colon and prostate cancers. Recent studies have also shown that CTCs are suitable material for molecular characterization, using techniques such as reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) and NGS. Furthermore, genetic analysis of CTCs may be more suitable to study tumour heterogeneity and clonal evolution than fresh tissue biopsy. Whether blood-based biopsy techniques will be accepted as a replacement to fresh tissue biopsies remains to be seen, but there is reason for optimism. While significant barriers to this acceptance exist, blood-based biopsy techniques appear to be reliable and representative alternatives to fresh tissue biopsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Paul Kolinsky
- The Institute of Cancer Research, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, Downs Road, Sutton, Surrey, SM2 5PT, UK
- Cross Cancer Institute, 11560 University Avenue, Edmonton, AB, T61Z2, Canada
| | | | - Maryou Lambros
- The Institute of Cancer Research, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, Downs Road, Sutton, Surrey, SM2 5PT, UK
| | - Veronica Gil
- The Institute of Cancer Research, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, Downs Road, Sutton, Surrey, SM2 5PT, UK
| | - Daniel Nava Rodrigues
- The Institute of Cancer Research, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, Downs Road, Sutton, Surrey, SM2 5PT, UK
| | - Suzanne Carreira
- The Institute of Cancer Research, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, Downs Road, Sutton, Surrey, SM2 5PT, UK
| | - Zafeiris Zafeiriou
- The Institute of Cancer Research, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, Downs Road, Sutton, Surrey, SM2 5PT, UK
| | - Johann Sebastian de Bono
- The Institute of Cancer Research, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, Downs Road, Sutton, Surrey, SM2 5PT, UK.
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6
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FGF Signalling in the Self-Renewal of Colon Cancer Organoids. Sci Rep 2019; 9:17365. [PMID: 31758153 PMCID: PMC6874569 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-53907-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The progression of colorectal cancer (CRC) is supposedly driven by cancer stem cells (CSC) which are able to self-renew and simultaneously fuel bulk tumour mass with highly proliferative and differentiated tumour cells. However, the CSC-phenotype in CRC is unstable and dependent on environmental cues. Fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) is essential and necessary for the maintenance of self-renewal in adult and embryonic stem cells. Investigating its role in self-renewal in advanced CRC patient-derived organoids, we unveiled that FGF-receptor (FGFR) inhibition prevents organoid formation in very early expanding cells but induces cyst formation when applied to pre-established organoids. Comprehensive transcriptome analyses revealed that the induction of the transcription factor activator-protein-1 (AP-1) together with MAPK activation was most prominent after FGFR-inhibition. These effects resemble mechanisms of an acquired resistance against other described tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as EGF-receptor targeted therapies. Furthermore, we detected elevated expression levels of several self-renewal and stemness-associated genes in organoid cultures with active FGF2 signalling. The combined data assume that CSCs are a heterogeneous population while self-renewal is a common feature regulated by distinct but converging pathways. Finally, we highlight FGF2 signalling as one of numerous components of the complex regulation of stemness in cancer.
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7
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Chen S, El-Heliebi A, Schmid J, Kashofer K, Czyż ZT, Polzer BM, Pantel K, Kroneis T, Sedlmayr P. Target Cell Pre-enrichment and Whole Genome Amplification for Single Cell Downstream Characterization. J Vis Exp 2018:56394. [PMID: 29863657 PMCID: PMC6101176 DOI: 10.3791/56394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Rare target cells can be isolated from a high background of non-target cells using antibodies specific for surface proteins of target cells. A recently developed method uses a medical wire functionalized with anti-epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) antibodies for in vivo isolation of circulating tumor cells (CTCs)1. A patient-matched cohort in non-metastatic prostate cancer showed that the in vivo isolation technique resulted in a higher percentage of patients positive for CTCs as well as higher CTC counts as compared to the current gold standard in CTC enumeration. As cells cannot be recovered from current medical devices, a new functionalized wire (referred to as Device) was manufactured allowing capture and subsequent detachment of cells by enzymatic treatment. Cells are allowed to attach to the Device, visualized on a microscope and detached using enzymatic treatment. Recovered cells are cytocentrifuged onto membrane-coated slides and harvested individually by means of laser microdissection or micromanipulation. Single-cell samples are then subjected to single-cell whole genome amplification allowing multiple downstream analysis including screening and target-specific approaches. The procedure of isolation and recovery yields high quality DNA from single cells and does not impair subsequent whole genome amplification (WGA). A single cell's amplified DNA can be forwarded to screening and/or targeted analysis such as array comparative genome hybridization (array-CGH) or sequencing. The device allows ex vivo isolation from artificial rare cell samples (i.e. 500 target cells spiked into 5 mL of peripheral blood). Whereas detachment rates of cells are acceptable (50 - 90%), the recovery rate of detached cells onto slides spans a wide range dependent on the cell line used (<10 - >50%) and needs some further attention. This device is not cleared for the use in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shukun Chen
- Institute of Cell Biology, Histology and Embryology, Medical University of Graz
| | - Amin El-Heliebi
- Institute of Cell Biology, Histology and Embryology, Medical University of Graz
| | - Julia Schmid
- Institute of Cell Biology, Histology and Embryology, Medical University of Graz
| | | | - Zbigniew T Czyż
- Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine ITEM
| | | | - Klaus Pantel
- Department of Tumor Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf
| | - Thomas Kroneis
- Institute of Cell Biology, Histology and Embryology, Medical University of Graz; Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg;
| | - Peter Sedlmayr
- Institute of Cell Biology, Histology and Embryology, Medical University of Graz
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Castro-Giner F, Gkountela S, Donato C, Alborelli I, Quagliata L, Ng CKY, Piscuoglio S, Aceto N. Cancer Diagnosis Using a Liquid Biopsy: Challenges and Expectations. Diagnostics (Basel) 2018; 8:diagnostics8020031. [PMID: 29747380 PMCID: PMC6023445 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics8020031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2018] [Revised: 05/04/2018] [Accepted: 05/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The field of cancer diagnostics has recently been impacted by new and exciting developments in the area of liquid biopsy. A liquid biopsy is a minimally invasive alternative to surgical biopsies of solid tissues, typically achieved through the withdrawal of a blood sample or other body fluids, allowing the interrogation of tumor-derived material including circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) fragments that are present at a given time point. In this short review, we discuss a few studies that summarize the state-of-the-art in the liquid biopsy field from a diagnostic perspective, and speculate on current challenges and expectations of implementing liquid biopsy testing for cancer diagnosis and monitoring in the clinical setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesc Castro-Giner
- Cancer Metastasis Laboratory, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Hospital Basel, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Sofia Gkountela
- Cancer Metastasis Laboratory, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Hospital Basel, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Cinzia Donato
- Cancer Metastasis Laboratory, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Hospital Basel, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Ilaria Alborelli
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Basel, 4031 Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Luca Quagliata
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Basel, 4031 Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Charlotte K Y Ng
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Basel, 4031 Basel, Switzerland.
- Hepatology Laboratory, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Hospital Basel, 4031 Basel, Switzerland.
| | | | - Nicola Aceto
- Cancer Metastasis Laboratory, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Hospital Basel, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.
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9
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Ferrarini A, Forcato C, Buson G, Tononi P, del Monaco V, Terracciano M, Bolognesi C, Fontana F, Medoro G, Neves R, Möhlendick B, Rihawi K, Ardizzoni A, Sumanasuriya S, Flohr P, Lambros M, de Bono J, Stoecklein NH, Manaresi N. A streamlined workflow for single-cells genome-wide copy-number profiling by low-pass sequencing of LM-PCR whole-genome amplification products. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0193689. [PMID: 29494651 PMCID: PMC5832318 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0193689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2017] [Accepted: 02/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Chromosomal instability and associated chromosomal aberrations are hallmarks of cancer and play a critical role in disease progression and development of resistance to drugs. Single-cell genome analysis has gained interest in latest years as a source of biomarkers for targeted-therapy selection and drug resistance, and several methods have been developed to amplify the genomic DNA and to produce libraries suitable for Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS). However, most protocols require several enzymatic and cleanup steps, thus increasing the complexity and length of protocols, while robustness and speed are key factors for clinical applications. To tackle this issue, we developed a single-tube, single-step, streamlined protocol, exploiting ligation mediated PCR (LM-PCR) Whole Genome Amplification (WGA) method, for low-pass genome sequencing with the Ion Torrent™ platform and copy number alterations (CNAs) calling from single cells. The method was evaluated on single cells isolated from 6 aberrant cell lines of the NCI-H series. In addition, to demonstrate the feasibility of the workflow on clinical samples, we analyzed single circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and white blood cells (WBCs) isolated from the blood of patients affected by prostate cancer or lung adenocarcinoma. The results obtained show that the developed workflow generates data accurately representing whole genome absolute copy number profiles of single cell and allows alterations calling at resolutions down to 100 Kbp with as few as 200,000 reads. The presented data demonstrate the feasibility of the Ampli1™ WGA-based low-pass workflow for detection of CNAs in single tumor cells which would be of particular interest for genome-driven targeted therapy selection and for monitoring of disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Genny Buson
- Menarini Silicon Biosystems spa, Bologna, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Rui Neves
- Department of General, Visceral and Pediatric Surgery, Medical Faculty, University Hospital of the Heinrich- Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Birte Möhlendick
- Department of General, Visceral and Pediatric Surgery, Medical Faculty, University Hospital of the Heinrich- Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Karim Rihawi
- Unità Operativa di Oncologia Medica, Policlinico Sant’Orsola – Malpighi, Bologna, Italy
| | - Andrea Ardizzoni
- Unità Operativa di Oncologia Medica, Policlinico Sant’Orsola – Malpighi, Bologna, Italy
| | - Semini Sumanasuriya
- The Institute of Cancer Research and Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Penny Flohr
- The Institute of Cancer Research and Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Maryou Lambros
- The Institute of Cancer Research and Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Johann de Bono
- The Institute of Cancer Research and Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nikolas H. Stoecklein
- Department of General, Visceral and Pediatric Surgery, Medical Faculty, University Hospital of the Heinrich- Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
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10
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Mohme M, Riethdorf S, Dreimann M, Werner S, Maire CL, Joosse SA, Bludau F, Mueller V, Neves RPL, Stoecklein NH, Lamszus K, Westphal M, Pantel K, Wikman H, Eicker SO. Circulating Tumour Cell Release after Cement Augmentation of Vertebral Metastases. Sci Rep 2017; 7:7196. [PMID: 28775319 PMCID: PMC5543076 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-07649-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2017] [Accepted: 06/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cement augmentation via percutaneous vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty for treatment of spinal metastasis is a well-established treatment option. We assessed whether elevated intrametastatic pressure during cement augmentation results in an increased dissemination of tumour cells into the vascular circulation. We prospectively collected blood from patients with osteolytic spinal column metastases and analysed the prevalence of circulating tumour cells (CTCs) at three time-points: preoperatively, 20 minutes after cement augmentation, and 3–5 days postoperatively. Enrolling 21 patients, including 13 breast- (61.9%), 5 lung- (23.8%), and one (4.8%) colorectal-, renal-, and prostate-carcinoma patient each, we demonstrate a significant 1.8-fold increase of EpCAM+/K+ CTCs in samples taken 20 minutes post-cement augmentation (P < 0.0001). Despite increased mechanical CTC dissemination due to cement augmentation, follow-up blood draws demonstrated that no long-term increase of CTCs was present. Array-CGH analysis revealed a specific profile of the CTC collected 20 minutes after cement augmentation. This is the first study to report that peripheral CTCs are temporarily increased due to vertebral cement augmentation procedures. Our findings provide a rationale for the development of new prophylactic strategies to reduce the increased release of CTC after cement augmentation of osteolytic spinal metastases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malte Mohme
- Department of Neurosurgery, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Sabine Riethdorf
- Department of Tumour Biology, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Marc Dreimann
- Department of Trauma-, Hand- and Reconstructive Surgery, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Stefan Werner
- Department of Tumour Biology, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Cecile L Maire
- Department of Neurosurgery, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Simon A Joosse
- Department of Tumour Biology, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Frederic Bludau
- Department for Trauma Surgery, University Medical Centre Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Volkmar Mueller
- Department of Gynecology, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Rui P L Neves
- Department of General, Visceral and Pediatric Surgery, University Hospital and Medical Faculty of the Heinrich-Heine University Dusseldorf, Dusseldorf, Germany
| | - Nikolas H Stoecklein
- Department of General, Visceral and Pediatric Surgery, University Hospital and Medical Faculty of the Heinrich-Heine University Dusseldorf, Dusseldorf, Germany
| | - Katrin Lamszus
- Department of Neurosurgery, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Manfred Westphal
- Department of Neurosurgery, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Klaus Pantel
- Department of Tumour Biology, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Harriet Wikman
- Department of Tumour Biology, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sven O Eicker
- Department of Neurosurgery, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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11
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Disseminated tumour cells with highly aberrant genomes are linked to poor prognosis in operable oesophageal adenocarcinoma. Br J Cancer 2017; 117:725-733. [PMID: 28728164 PMCID: PMC5572184 DOI: 10.1038/bjc.2017.233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2017] [Revised: 06/13/2017] [Accepted: 06/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chromosomal instability (CIN) has repeatedly been identified as a prognostic marker. Here we evaluated the percentage of aberrant genome per cell (PAG) as a measure of CIN in single disseminated tumour cells (DTC) isolated from patients with operable oesophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC), to assess the impact of CINhigh DTCs on prognosis. METHODS We isolated CK18positive DTCs from bone marrow (BM) or lymph node (LN) preparations of operable EAC patients. After whole-genome amplification, single DTCs were analysed for chromosomal gains and losses using metaphase-based comparative genomic hybridisation (mCGH). We calculated the PAG for each DTC and determined the critical threshold value that identifies high-risk patients by STEPP (Subpopulation Treatment Effect Pattern Plot) analysis in two independent EAC patient cohorts (cohort #1, n=44; cohort #2; n=29). RESULTS The most common chromosomal alterations observed among the DTCs were typical for EAC, but the DTCs showed a varying PAG between individual patients. Generally, LNDTCs displayed a significantly higher PAG than BMDTCs. STEPP analysis revealed an increasing PAG of DTCs to be correlated with an increased risk for short survival in two independent EAC cohorts as well as in the corresponding pooled analysis. In all three data sets (cohort #1, cohort #2 and pooled cohort), PAGhigh DTCs conferred an independent risk for a significantly decreased survival. CONCLUSIONS The analysis of PAG/CIN in solitary marker-positive DTCs identifies operable EAC patients with poor prognosis, indicating a more aggressive minimal residual disease.
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12
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Jackson JM, Witek MA, Kamande JW, Soper SA. Materials and microfluidics: enabling the efficient isolation and analysis of circulating tumour cells. Chem Soc Rev 2017; 46:4245-4280. [PMID: 28632258 PMCID: PMC5576189 DOI: 10.1039/c7cs00016b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
We present a critical review of microfluidic technologies and material effects on the analyses of circulating tumour cells (CTCs) selected from the peripheral blood of cancer patients. CTCs are a minimally invasive source of clinical information that can be used to prognose patient outcome, monitor minimal residual disease, assess tumour resistance to therapeutic agents, and potentially screen individuals for the early diagnosis of cancer. The performance of CTC isolation technologies depends on microfluidic architectures, the underlying principles of isolation, and the choice of materials. We present a critical review of the fundamental principles used in these technologies and discuss their performance. We also give context to how CTC isolation technologies enable downstream analysis of selected CTCs in terms of detecting genetic mutations and gene expression that could be used to gain information that may affect patient outcome.
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13
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Sho S, Court CM, Winograd P, Lee S, Hou S, Graeber TG, Tseng HR, Tomlinson JS. Precision oncology using a limited number of cells: optimization of whole genome amplification products for sequencing applications. BMC Cancer 2017; 17:457. [PMID: 28666423 PMCID: PMC5493892 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-017-3447-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2016] [Accepted: 06/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Sequencing analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) enables “liquid biopsy” to guide precision oncology strategies. However, this requires low-template whole genome amplification (WGA) that is prone to errors and biases from uneven amplifications. Currently, quality control (QC) methods for WGA products, as well as the number of CTCs needed for reliable downstream sequencing, remain poorly defined. We sought to define strategies for selecting and generating optimal WGA products from low-template input as it relates to their potential applications in precision oncology strategies. Methods Single pancreatic cancer cells (HPAF-II) were isolated using laser microdissection. WGA was performed using multiple displacement amplification (MDA), multiple annealing and looping based amplification (MALBAC) and PicoPLEX. Quality of amplified DNA products were assessed using a multiplex/RT-qPCR based method that evaluates for 8-cancer related genes and QC-scores were assigned. We utilized this scoring system to assess the impact of de novo modifications to the WGA protocol. WGA products were subjected to Sanger sequencing, array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) and next generation sequencing (NGS) to evaluate their performances in respective downstream analyses providing validation of the QC-score. Results Single-cell WGA products exhibited a significant sample-to-sample variability in amplified DNA quality as assessed by our 8-gene QC assay. Single-cell WGA products that passed the pre-analysis QC had lower amplification bias and improved aCGH/NGS performance metrics when compared to single-cell WGA products that failed the QC. Increasing the number of cellular input resulted in improved QC-scores overall, but a resultant WGA product that consistently passed the QC step required a starting cellular input of at least 20-cells. Our modified-WGA protocol effectively reduced this number, achieving reproducible high-quality WGA products from ≥5-cells as a starting template. A starting cellular input of 5 to 10-cells amplified using the modified-WGA achieved aCGH and NGS results that closely matched that of unamplified, batch genomic DNA. Conclusion The modified-WGA protocol coupled with the 8-gene QC serve as an effective strategy to enhance the quality of low-template WGA reactions. Furthermore, a threshold number of 5–10 cells are likely needed for a reliable WGA reaction and product with high fidelity to the original starting template. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12885-017-3447-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shonan Sho
- Department of Surgery, University of California Los Angeles, 10833 Le Conte Ave, California, Los Angeles, 90095, USA. .,Department of Surgery, Greater Los Angeles Veteran's Affairs Administration, 11301 Wilshire Blvd, California, Los Angeles, 90073, USA.
| | - Colin M Court
- Department of Surgery, University of California Los Angeles, 10833 Le Conte Ave, California, Los Angeles, 90095, USA.,Department of Surgery, Greater Los Angeles Veteran's Affairs Administration, 11301 Wilshire Blvd, California, Los Angeles, 90073, USA
| | - Paul Winograd
- Department of Surgery, University of California Los Angeles, 10833 Le Conte Ave, California, Los Angeles, 90095, USA.,Department of Surgery, Greater Los Angeles Veteran's Affairs Administration, 11301 Wilshire Blvd, California, Los Angeles, 90073, USA
| | - Sangjun Lee
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California Los Angeles, 650 Charles E Young Dr S, California, Los Angeles, 90095, USA
| | - Shuang Hou
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California Los Angeles, 650 Charles E Young Dr S, California, Los Angeles, 90095, USA
| | - Thomas G Graeber
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California Los Angeles, 650 Charles E Young Dr S, California, Los Angeles, 90095, USA
| | - Hsian-Rong Tseng
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California Los Angeles, 650 Charles E Young Dr S, California, Los Angeles, 90095, USA
| | - James S Tomlinson
- Department of Surgery, University of California Los Angeles, 10833 Le Conte Ave, California, Los Angeles, 90095, USA.,Department of Surgery, Greater Los Angeles Veteran's Affairs Administration, 11301 Wilshire Blvd, California, Los Angeles, 90073, USA.,UCLA Center for Pancreatic Diseases, University of California Los Angeles, 10833 Le Conte Ave., 72-215 CHS, California, Los Angeles, 90095, USA
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14
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Catch and Release: rare cell analysis from a functionalised medical wire. Sci Rep 2017; 7:43424. [PMID: 28233867 PMCID: PMC5324062 DOI: 10.1038/srep43424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2016] [Accepted: 01/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Enumeration and especially molecular characterization of circulating tumour cells (CTCs) holds great promise for cancer management. We tested a modified type of an in vivo enrichment device (Catch&Release) for its ability to bind and detach cancer cells for the purpose of single-cell molecular downstream analysis in vitro. The evaluation showed that single-cell analysis using array comparative genome hybridization (array-CGH) and next generation sequencing (NGS) is feasible. We found array-CGH to be less noisy when whole genome amplification (WGA) was performed with Ampli1 as compared to GenomePlex (DLRS values 0.65 vs. 1.39). Moreover, Ampli1-processed cells allowed detection of smaller aberrations (median 14.0 vs. 49.9 Mb). Single-cell NGS data obtained from Ampli1-processed samples showed the expected non-synonymous mutations (deletion/SNP) according to bulk DNA. We conclude that clinical application of this refined in vivo enrichment device allows CTC enumeration and characterization, thus, representing a promising tool for personalized medicine.
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15
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Comparative study of whole genome amplification and next generation sequencing performance of single cancer cells. Oncotarget 2016; 8:56066-56080. [PMID: 28915574 PMCID: PMC5593545 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.10701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2016] [Accepted: 06/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Whole genome amplification (WGA) is required for single cell genotyping. Effectiveness of currently available WGA technologies in combination with next generation sequencing (NGS) and material preservation is still elusive. RESULTS In respect to the accuracy of SNP/mutation, indel, and copy number aberrations (CNA) calling, the HiSeq2000 platform outperformed IonProton in all aspects. Furthermore, more accurate SNP/mutation and indel calling was demonstrated using single tumor cells obtained from EDTA-collected blood in respect to CellSave-preserved blood, whereas CNA analysis in our study was not detectably affected by fixation. Although MDA-based WGA yielded the highest DNA amount, DNA quality was not adequate for downstream analysis. PCR-based WGA demonstrates superiority over MDA-PCR combining technique for SNP and indel analysis in single cells. However, SNP calling performance of MDA-PCR WGA improves with increasing amount of input DNA, whereas CNA analysis does not. The performance of PCR-based WGA did not significantly improve with increase of input material. CNA profiles of single cells, amplified with MDA-PCR technique and sequenced on both HiSeq2000 and IonProton platforms, resembled unamplified DNA the most. MATERIALS AND METHODS We analyzed the performance of PCR-based, multiple-displacement amplification (MDA)-based, and MDA-PCR combining WGA techniques (WGA kits Ampli1, REPLI-g, and PicoPlex, respectively) on single and pooled tumor cells obtained from EDTA- and CellSave-preserved blood and archival material. Amplified DNA underwent exome-Seq with the Illumina HiSeq2000 and ThermoFisher IonProton platforms. CONCLUSION We demonstrate the feasibility of single cell genotyping of differently preserved material, nevertheless, WGA and NGS approaches have to be chosen carefully depending on the study aims.
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16
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Heitzer E, Ulz P, Geigl JB, Speicher MR. Non-invasive detection of genome-wide somatic copy number alterations by liquid biopsies. Mol Oncol 2016; 10:494-502. [PMID: 26778171 PMCID: PMC5528970 DOI: 10.1016/j.molonc.2015.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2015] [Revised: 11/26/2015] [Accepted: 12/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Liquid biopsies, i.e. the analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) or circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), are evolving into promising clinical tools. Indeed, a plethora of liquid biopsy technologies to deduce non-invasively characteristics of the tumor genome from the peripheral blood have been developed over the last few years. For example, liquid biopsies have been used to assess the tumor burden, to monitor the evolution of tumor genomes, to unravel mechanisms of resistance, to establish the tumor heterogeneity, and for the identification of prognostic and predictive markers. In this review we focus on methods to establish genome-wide profiles of somatic copy number alterations (SCNAs) from plasma DNA and show how they provide novel insights into the biology of cancer and their impact on the management of patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen Heitzer
- Medical University of Graz, Institute of Human Genetics, Harrachgasse 21/8, A-8010 Graz, Austria.
| | - Peter Ulz
- Medical University of Graz, Institute of Human Genetics, Harrachgasse 21/8, A-8010 Graz, Austria.
| | - Jochen B Geigl
- Medical University of Graz, Institute of Human Genetics, Harrachgasse 21/8, A-8010 Graz, Austria.
| | - Michael R Speicher
- Medical University of Graz, Institute of Human Genetics, Harrachgasse 21/8, A-8010 Graz, Austria.
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17
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Hvichia GE, Parveen Z, Wagner C, Janning M, Quidde J, Stein A, Müller V, Loges S, Neves RPL, Stoecklein NH, Wikman H, Riethdorf S, Pantel K, Gorges TM. A novel microfluidic platform for size and deformability based separation and the subsequent molecular characterization of viable circulating tumor cells. Int J Cancer 2016; 138:2894-904. [PMID: 26789903 PMCID: PMC5069649 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.30007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2015] [Revised: 12/04/2015] [Accepted: 12/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) were introduced as biomarkers more than 10 years ago, but capture of viable CTCs at high purity from peripheral blood of cancer patients is still a major technical challenge. Here, we report a novel microfluidic platform designed for marker independent capture of CTCs. The Parsortix™ cell separation system provides size and deformability-based enrichment with automated staining for cell identification, and subsequent recovery (harvesting) of cells from the device. Using the Parsortix™ system, average cell capture inside the device ranged between 42% and 70%. Subsequent harvest of cells from the device ranged between 54% and 69% of cells captured. Most importantly, 99% of the isolated tumor cells were viable after processing in spiking experiments as well as after harvesting from patient samples and still functional for downstream molecular analysis as demonstrated by mRNA characterization and array-based comparative genomic hybridization. Analyzing clinical blood samples from metastatic (n = 20) and nonmetastatic (n = 6) cancer patients in parallel with CellSearch(®) system, we found that there was no statistically significant difference between the quantitative behavior of the two systems in this set of twenty six paired separations. In conclusion, the epitope independent Parsortix™ system enables the isolation of viable CTCs at a very high purity. Using this system, viable tumor cells are easily accessible and ready for molecular and functional analysis. The system's ability for enumeration and molecular characterization of EpCAM-negative CTCs will help to broaden research into the mechanisms of cancer as well as facilitating the use of CTCs as "liquid biopsies."
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Z Parveen
- ANGLE North America Inc, Philadelphia, PA
| | - C Wagner
- ANGLE North America Inc, Philadelphia, PA
| | - M Janning
- Department of Tumor Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,Department of Hematology/Oncology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,Bone Marrow Transplantation with Section Pneumology, Hubertus Wald Tumorzentrum, University Comprehensive Cancer Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - J Quidde
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,Bone Marrow Transplantation with Section Pneumology, Hubertus Wald Tumorzentrum, University Comprehensive Cancer Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - A Stein
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,Bone Marrow Transplantation with Section Pneumology, Hubertus Wald Tumorzentrum, University Comprehensive Cancer Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - V Müller
- Gynecology Department and Clinic, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - S Loges
- Department of Tumor Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,Department of Hematology/Oncology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,Bone Marrow Transplantation with Section Pneumology, Hubertus Wald Tumorzentrum, University Comprehensive Cancer Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - R P L Neves
- Department of General, Visceral and Pediatric Surgery, University Hospital and Medical Faculty of the Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - N H Stoecklein
- Department of General, Visceral and Pediatric Surgery, University Hospital and Medical Faculty of the Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - H Wikman
- Department of Tumor Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - S Riethdorf
- Department of Tumor Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - K Pantel
- Department of Tumor Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - T M Gorges
- Department of Tumor Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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18
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Grün D, van Oudenaarden A. Design and Analysis of Single-Cell Sequencing Experiments. Cell 2016; 163:799-810. [PMID: 26544934 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2015.10.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 314] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Recent advances in single-cell sequencing hold great potential for exploring biological systems with unprecedented resolution. Sequencing the genome of individual cells can reveal somatic mutations and allows the investigation of clonal dynamics. Single-cell transcriptome sequencing can elucidate the cell type composition of a sample. However, single-cell sequencing comes with major technical challenges and yields complex data output. In this Primer, we provide an overview of available methods and discuss experimental design and single-cell data analysis. We hope that these guidelines will enable a growing number of researchers to leverage the power of single-cell sequencing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic Grün
- Hubrecht Institute-KNAW (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences), 3584 CT Utrecht, the Netherlands; University Medical Center Utrecht, Cancer Genomics Netherlands, 3584 CX Utrecht, the Netherlands; Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, D-79108 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Alexander van Oudenaarden
- Hubrecht Institute-KNAW (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences), 3584 CT Utrecht, the Netherlands; University Medical Center Utrecht, Cancer Genomics Netherlands, 3584 CX Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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19
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Schneck H, Gierke B, Uppenkamp F, Behrens B, Niederacher D, Stoecklein NH, Templin MF, Pawlak M, Fehm T, Neubauer H. EpCAM-Independent Enrichment of Circulating Tumor Cells in Metastatic Breast Cancer. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0144535. [PMID: 26695635 PMCID: PMC4687932 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0144535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2015] [Accepted: 11/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are the potential precursors of metastatic disease. Most assays established for the enumeration of CTCs so far–including the gold standard CellSearch—rely on the expression of the cell surface marker epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM). But, these approaches may not detect CTCs that express no/low levels of EpCAM, e.g. by undergoing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Here we present an enrichment strategy combining different antibodies specific for surface proteins and extracellular matrix (ECM) components to capture an EpCAMlow/neg cell line and EpCAMneg CTCs from blood samples of breast cancer patients depleted for EpCAM-positive cells. The expression of respective proteins (Trop2, CD49f, c-Met, CK8, CD44, ADAM8, CD146, TEM8, CD47) was verified by immunofluorescence on EpCAMpos (e.g. MCF7, SKBR3) and EpCAMlow/neg (MDA-MB-231) breast cancer cell lines. To test antibodies and ECM proteins (e.g. hyaluronic acid (HA), collagen I, laminin) for capturing EpCAMneg cells, the capture molecules were first spotted in a single- and multi-array format onto aldehyde-coated glass slides. Tumor cell adhesion of EpCAMpos/neg cell lines was then determined and visualized by Coomassie/MitoTracker staining. In consequence, marginal binding of EpCAMlow/neg MDA-MB-231 cells to EpCAM-antibodies could be observed. However, efficient adhesion/capturing of EpCAMlow/neg cells could be achieved via HA and immobilized antibodies against CD49f and Trop2. Optimal capture conditions were then applied to immunomagnetic beads to detect EpCAMneg CTCs from clinical samples. Captured CTCs were verified/quantified by immunofluorescence staining for anti-pan-Cytokeratin (CK)-FITC/anti-CD45 AF647/DAPI. In total, in 20 out of 29 EpCAM-depleted fractions (69%) from 25 metastatic breast cancer patients additional EpCAMneg CTCs could be identified [range of 1–24 CTCs per sample] applying Trop2, CD49f, c-Met, CK8 and/or HA magnetic enrichment. EpCAMneg dual-positive (CKpos/CD45pos) cells could be traced in 28 out of 29 samples [range 1–480]. By single-cell array-based comparative genomic hybridization we were able to demonstrate the malignant nature of one EpCAMneg subpopulation. In conclusion, we established a novel enhanced CTC enrichment strategy to capture EpCAMneg CTCs from clinical blood samples by targeting various cell surface antigens with antibody mixtures and ECM components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen Schneck
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital and Medical Faculty of the Heinrich-Heine University Duesseldorf, Duesseldorf, Germany
| | - Berthold Gierke
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tuebingen, Reutlingen, Germany
| | - Frauke Uppenkamp
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital and Medical Faculty of the Heinrich-Heine University Duesseldorf, Duesseldorf, Germany
| | - Bianca Behrens
- Department of General, Visceral and Pediatric Surgery, University Hospital and Medical Faculty of the Heinrich-Heine University Duesseldorf, Duesseldorf, Germany
| | - Dieter Niederacher
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital and Medical Faculty of the Heinrich-Heine University Duesseldorf, Duesseldorf, Germany
| | - Nikolas H. Stoecklein
- Department of General, Visceral and Pediatric Surgery, University Hospital and Medical Faculty of the Heinrich-Heine University Duesseldorf, Duesseldorf, Germany
| | - Markus F. Templin
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tuebingen, Reutlingen, Germany
| | - Michael Pawlak
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tuebingen, Reutlingen, Germany
| | - Tanja Fehm
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital and Medical Faculty of the Heinrich-Heine University Duesseldorf, Duesseldorf, Germany
| | - Hans Neubauer
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital and Medical Faculty of the Heinrich-Heine University Duesseldorf, Duesseldorf, Germany
- * E-mail:
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Stoecklein NH, Fischer JC, Niederacher D, Terstappen LWMM. Challenges for CTC-based liquid biopsies: low CTC frequency and diagnostic leukapheresis as a potential solution. Expert Rev Mol Diagn 2015; 16:147-64. [DOI: 10.1586/14737159.2016.1123095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Alberter B, Klein CA, Polzer B. Single-cell analysis of CTCs with diagnostic precision: opportunities and challenges for personalized medicine. Expert Rev Mol Diagn 2015; 16:25-38. [PMID: 26567956 DOI: 10.1586/14737159.2016.1121099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The generation of variant cancer cells is the major cause of acquired resistance against systemic therapies and consequently, of our inability to cure advanced cancer patients. Circulating tumor cells are gaining increasing clinical attention because they may enable the monitoring cancer progression and adjustment of treatment. In recent years multiple technologies for enrichment, isolation as well as molecular and functional analysis of circulating tumor cells have been developed. Implementation of these technologies in standardized and automated workflows in clinical diagnostics could provide valuable information for real-time monitoring of cancer and eventually new therapeutic strategies for the benefit of patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Alberter
- a Project Group "Personalized Tumor Therapy" , Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine , Regensburg , Germany
| | - Christoph A Klein
- a Project Group "Personalized Tumor Therapy" , Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine , Regensburg , Germany.,b Experimental Medicine and Therapy Research , University of Regensburg , Regensburg , Germany
| | - Bernhard Polzer
- a Project Group "Personalized Tumor Therapy" , Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine , Regensburg , Germany
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Abstract
This chapter describes a single-cell whole genome amplification method (WGA) that has been originally published under the name "Single Cell Comparative Genomic Hybridization (SCOMP)" (Klein et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 96(8):4494-4499, 1999). The method has recently become available commercially under the name "Ampli1(™) WGA Kit." It is a PCR-based technique for whole genome amplification (WGA) allowing comprehensive and quite uniform amplification of DNA from low quantities of input DNA material, in particular single cells. The method is based on a ligation-mediated adaptor linker PCR approach. In contrast to other PCR-based WGA approaches, both the primer design and mechanism underlying the fragmentation of genome are nonrandom, enabling high priming efficiency and deterministic fragmentation of template DNA. This is particularly important for the design of (diagnostic) assays targeting specific loci. Here, we describe the WGA protocol for amplification of single-cell genomes designed to provide high-quality material in quantity sufficient for a number of locus-specific and genome-wide downstream assays [e.g., targeted Sanger sequencing, restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), quantitative PCR (qPCR), and array comparative genomic hybridization (CGH)].
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23
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Czyz ZT, Stoecklein NH, Polzer B. Laser Microdissection of FFPE Tissue Areas and Subsequent Whole Genome Amplification by Ampli1™. Methods Mol Biol 2015; 1347:141-162. [PMID: 26374316 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-2990-0_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Laser microdissection (LMD) and whole genome amplification (WGA) are valuable tools to isolate, purify, and genetically analyze cancer cells from tissue sections. In this chapter, we describe a workflow for microdissecting small regions of interest from cancer tissue, i.e. formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) and cryo-conserved specimens, and subsequent whole genome amplification by a deterministic WGA approach (Ampli1™ WGA).
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Affiliation(s)
- Zbigniew Tadeusz Czyz
- Project Group, Personalized Tumor Therapy, Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine (ITEM), Josef-Engert-Straße 9, 93053, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Nikolas H Stoecklein
- Department of Visceral, General, and Pediatric Surgery, University Hospital and Medical Faculty of the Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Moorenstr. 5, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Bernhard Polzer
- Project Group, Personalized Tumor Therapy, Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine (ITEM), Josef-Engert-Straße 9, 93053, Regensburg, Germany.
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Abstract
The increasing interest towards cellular heterogeneity within cell populations has pushed the development of new protocols to isolate and analyze single cells. PCR-based amplification techniques are widely used in this field. However, setting up an experiment and analyzing the results can sometimes be challenging. The aim of this chapter is to provide a general overview on single-cell PCR analysis focusing on the potential pitfalls and on the possible solutions to successfully perform the analysis.
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Kroneis T, El-Heliebi A. Whole Genome Amplification of Labeled Viable Single Cells Suited for Array-Comparative Genomic Hybridization. Methods Mol Biol 2015; 1347:233-43. [PMID: 26374321 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-2990-0_16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Understanding details of a complex biological system makes it necessary to dismantle it down to its components. Immunostaining techniques allow identification of several distinct cell types thereby giving an inside view of intercellular heterogeneity. Often staining reveals that the most remarkable cells are the rarest. To further characterize the target cells on a molecular level, single cell techniques are necessary. Here, we describe the immunostaining, micromanipulation, and whole genome amplification of single cells for the purpose of genomic characterization. First, we exemplify the preparation of cell suspensions from cultured cells as well as the isolation of peripheral mononucleated cells from blood. The target cell population is then subjected to immunostaining. After cytocentrifugation target cells are isolated by micromanipulation and forwarded to whole genome amplification. For whole genome amplification, we use GenomePlex(®) technology allowing downstream genomic analysis such as array-comparative genomic hybridization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Kroneis
- Research Unit for Single Cell Analysis, Institute of Cell Biology, Histology and Embryology, Medical University of Graz, Harrachgasse 21, Graz, 8010, Austria. .,Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Amin El-Heliebi
- Research Unit for Single Cell Analysis, Institute of Cell Biology, Histology and Embryology, Medical University of Graz, Harrachgasse 21, Graz, 8010, Austria
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26
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Abstract
Modern molecular biology relies on large amounts of high-quality genomic DNA. However, in a number of clinical or biological applications this requirement cannot be met, as starting material is either limited (e.g., preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) or analysis of minimal residual cancer) or of insufficient quality (e.g., formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue samples or forensics). As a consequence, in order to obtain sufficient amounts of material to analyze these demanding samples by state-of-the-art modern molecular assays, genomic DNA has to be amplified. This chapter summarizes available technologies for whole-genome amplification (WGA), bridging the last 25 years from the first developments to currently applied methods. We will especially elaborate on research application, as well as inherent advantages and limitations of various WGA technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zbigniew Tadeusz Czyz
- Project Group, Personalized Tumor Therapy, Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine (ITEM), Josef-Engert-Straße 9, 93053, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Stefan Kirsch
- Project Group, Personalized Tumor Therapy, Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine (ITEM), Josef-Engert-Straße 9, 93053, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Bernhard Polzer
- Project Group, Personalized Tumor Therapy, Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine (ITEM), Josef-Engert-Straße 9, 93053, Regensburg, Germany.
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Möhlendick B, Stoecklein NH. Analysis of Copy-Number Alterations in Single Cells Using Microarray-Based Comparative Genomic Hybridization (aCGH). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 65:22.19.1-23. [PMID: 25447076 DOI: 10.1002/0471143030.cb2219s65] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
In this unit, we describe a workflow that enables array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) of single cells. The unit first describes the isolation and preparation of single peripheral mononuclear cells from blood (PBMC) to prepare a suitable reference DNA for aCGH experiments. An alternative procedure is described for the preparation of single cells of GM14667 and GM05423 cell lines to use as reference DNA and for sex-mismatched control experiments. A guide is also provided for micromanipulation of single cells. Next, the unit describes whole-genome amplification using adapter-linker PCR (Ampli1 WGA Kit) and an alternative nonlinear WGA method (PicoPLEX WGA Kit) for single-cell amplification. A protocol is also included for reamplification of Ampli1 WGA products, which can be used for aCGH as well. Finally, the use of 4 × 180k oligonucleotide microarrays to perform aCGH with single-cell WGA products is described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birte Möhlendick
- Department of Surgery (A), Heinrich Heine University and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
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28
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Neves RPL, Raba K, Schmidt O, Honisch E, Meier-Stiegen F, Behrens B, Möhlendick B, Fehm T, Neubauer H, Klein CA, Polzer B, Sproll C, Fischer JC, Niederacher D, Stoecklein NH. Genomic High-Resolution Profiling of Single CKpos/CD45neg Flow-Sorting Purified Circulating Tumor Cells from Patients with Metastatic Breast Cancer. Clin Chem 2014; 60:1290-7. [DOI: 10.1373/clinchem.2014.222331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are promising surrogate markers for systemic disease, and their molecular characterization might be relevant to guide more individualized cancer therapies. To enable fast and efficient purification of individual CTCs, we developed a work flow from CellSearchTM cartridges enabling high-resolution genomic profiling on the single-cell level.
METHODS
Single CTCs were sorted from 40 CellSearch samples from patients with metastatic breast cancer using a MoFlo XDP cell sorter. Genomes of sorted single cells were amplified using an adapter–linker PCR. Amplification products were analyzed by array-based comparative genomic hybridization, a gene-specific quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay for cyclin D1 (CCND1) locus amplification, and genomic sequencing to screen for mutations in exons 1, 9, and 20 of the phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase, catalytic subunit alpha (PIK3CA) gene and exons 5, 7, and 8 of the tumor protein p53 (TP53) gene.
RESULTS
One common flow-sorting protocol was appropriate for 90% of the analyzed CellSearch cartridges, and the detected CTC numbers correlated positively with those originally detected with the CellSearch system (R2 = 0.9257). Whole genome amplification was successful in 72.9% of the sorted single CTCs. Over 95% of the cells displayed chromosomal aberrations typical for metastatic breast cancers, and amplifications at the CCND1 locus were validated by qPCR. Aberrant CTCs from 2 patients harbored mutations in exon 20 of the PIK3CA gene.
CONCLUSIONS
This work flow enabled effective CTC isolation and provided insights into genomic alterations of CTCs in metastatic breast cancer. This approach might facilitate further molecular characterization of rare CTCs to increase understanding of their biology and as a basis for their molecular screening in the clinical setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui P L Neves
- Department of General, Visceral and Pediatric Surgery
| | - Katharina Raba
- Institute for Transplantation Diagnostics and Cell Therapeutics
| | - Oliver Schmidt
- Chair of Experimental Medicine and Therapy Research, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | - Tanja Fehm
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and
| | | | - Christoph A Klein
- Chair of Experimental Medicine and Therapy Research, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Bernhard Polzer
- Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Christoph Sproll
- Department of Maxillo- and Facial Plastic Surgery, University Hospital and Medical Faculty of the Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
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Binder V, Bartenhagen C, Okpanyi V, Gombert M, Moehlendick B, Behrens B, Klein HU, Rieder H, Ida Krell PF, Dugas M, Stoecklein NH, Borkhardt A. A new workflow for whole-genome sequencing of single human cells. Hum Mutat 2014; 35:1260-70. [PMID: 25066732 DOI: 10.1002/humu.22625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2013] [Accepted: 06/30/2014] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Unbiased amplification of the whole-genome amplification (WGA) of single cells is crucial to study cancer evolution and genetic heterogeneity, but is challenging due to the high complexity of the human genome. Here, we present a new workflow combining an efficient adapter-linker PCR-based WGA method with second-generation sequencing. This approach allows comparison of single cells at base pair resolution. Amplification recovered up to 74% of the human genome. Copy-number variants and loss of heterozygosity detected in single cell genomes showed concordance of up to 99% to pooled genomic DNA. Allele frequencies of mutations could be determined accurately due to an allele dropout rate of only 2%, clearly demonstrating the low bias of our PCR-based WGA approach. Sequencing with paired-end reads allowed genome-wide analysis of structural variants. By direct comparison to other WGA methods, we further endorse its suitability to analyze genetic heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vera Binder
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, University of Duesseldorf, Duesseldorf, Germany
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30
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Steinert G, Schölch S, Niemietz T, Iwata N, García SA, Behrens B, Voigt A, Kloor M, Benner A, Bork U, Rahbari NN, Büchler MW, Stoecklein NH, Weitz J, Koch M. Immune escape and survival mechanisms in circulating tumor cells of colorectal cancer. Cancer Res 2014; 74:1694-704. [PMID: 24599131 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-13-1885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 166] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The prognosis of colorectal cancer is closely linked to the occurrence of distant metastases. Systemic dissemination is most likely caused by circulating tumor cells (CTC). Despite the fundamental role of CTC within the metastatic cascade, technical obstacles have so far prevented detailed genomic and, in particular, phenotypic analyses of CTC, which may provide molecular targets to delay or prevent distant metastases. We show here a detailed genomic analysis of single colorectal cancer-derived CTC by array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH), mutational profiling, and microsatellite instability (MSI) analysis. Furthermore, we report the first gene expression analysis of manually selected colorectal cancer-derived CTC by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) to investigate transcriptional changes, enabling CTC to survive in circulation and form distant metastases. aCGH confirmed the tumor cell identity of CellSearch-isolated colorectal cancer-derived CTC. Mutational and MSI analyses revealed mutational profiles of CTC to be similar, but not identical to the corresponding tumor tissue. Several CTC exhibited mutations in key genes such as KRAS or TP53 that could not be detected in the tumor. Gene expression analyses revealed both a pronounced upregulation of CD47 as a potential immune-escape mechanism and a significant downregulation of several other pathways, suggesting a dormant state of viable CTC. Our results suggest mutational heterogeneity between tumor tissue and CTC that should be considered in future trials on targeted therapy and monitoring of response. The finding of upregulated immune-escape pathways, which may be responsible for survival of CTC in circulation, could provide a promising target to disrupt the metastatic cascade in colorectal cancer. Cancer Res; 74(6); 1694-704. ©2014 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gunnar Steinert
- Authors' Affiliations: Department of General, Gastrointestinal and Transplant Surgery; Department of Applied Tumor Biology, Institute of Pathology, University of Heidelberg; German Cancer Research Center, Division of Biostatistics, Heidelberg; Department of Gastrointestinal, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Medizinische Fakultät Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany; Department of General, Visceral and Paediatric Surgery, Medical Faculty, University Hospital, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany; and Edwin L. Steele Laboratory for Tumor Biology, Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
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31
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Single cell analysis of cancer genomes. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2014; 24:82-91. [PMID: 24531336 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2013.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2013] [Accepted: 12/15/2013] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Genomic studies have provided key insights into how cancers develop, evolve, metastasize and respond to treatment. Cancers result from an interplay between mutation, selection and clonal expansions. In solid tumours, this Darwinian competition between subclones is also influenced by topological factors. Recent advances have made it possible to study cancers at the single cell level. These methods represent important tools to dissect cancer evolution and provide the potential to considerably change both cancer research and clinical practice. Here we discuss state-of-the-art methods for the isolation of a single cell, whole-genome and whole-transcriptome amplification of the cell's nucleic acids, as well as microarray and massively parallel sequencing analysis of such amplification products. We discuss the strengths and the limitations of the techniques, and explore single-cell methodologies for future cancer research, as well as diagnosis and treatment of the disease.
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32
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Abstract
Advances in whole-genome and whole-transcriptome amplification have permitted the sequencing of the minute amounts of DNA and RNA present in a single cell, offering a window into the extent and nature of genomic and transcriptomic heterogeneity which occurs in both normal development and disease. Single-cell approaches stand poised to revolutionise our capacity to understand the scale of genomic, epigenomic, and transcriptomic diversity that occurs during the lifetime of an individual organism. Here, we review the major technological and biological breakthroughs achieved, describe the remaining challenges to overcome, and provide a glimpse into the promise of recent and future developments.
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Reliable single cell array CGH for clinical samples. PLoS One 2014; 9:e85907. [PMID: 24465780 PMCID: PMC3897541 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0085907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2013] [Accepted: 12/07/2013] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Disseminated cancer cells (DCCs) and circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are extremely rare, but comprise the precursors cells of distant metastases or therapy resistant cells. The detailed molecular analysis of these cells may help to identify key events of cancer cell dissemination, metastatic colony formation and systemic therapy escape. Methodology/Principal Findings Using the Ampli1™ whole genome amplification (WGA) technology and high-resolution oligonucleotide aCGH microarrays we optimized conditions for the analysis of structural copy number changes. The protocol presented here enables reliable detection of numerical genomic alterations as small as 0.1 Mb in a single cell. Analysis of single cells from well-characterized cell lines and single normal cells confirmed the stringent quantitative nature of the amplification and hybridization protocol. Importantly, fixation and staining procedures used to detect DCCs showed no significant impact on the outcome of the analysis, proving the clinical usability of our method. In a proof-of-principle study we tracked the chromosomal changes of single DCCs over a full course of high-dose chemotherapy treatment by isolating and analyzing DCCs of an individual breast cancer patient at four different time points. Conclusions/Significance The protocol enables detailed genome analysis of DCCs and thereby assessment of the clonal evolution during the natural course of the disease and under selection pressures. The results from an exemplary patient provide evidence that DCCs surviving selective therapeutic conditions may be recruited from a pool of genomically less advanced cells, which display a stable subset of specific genomic alterations.
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Xu Y, Hu H, Zheng J, Li B. Feasibility of whole RNA sequencing from single-cell mRNA amplification. GENETICS RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2013; 2013:724124. [PMID: 24455282 PMCID: PMC3885331 DOI: 10.1155/2013/724124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2013] [Revised: 10/17/2013] [Accepted: 11/13/2013] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Single-cell sampling with RNA-seq analysis plays an important role in reference laboratory; cytogenomic diagnosis for specimens on glass-slides or rare cells in circulating blood for tumor and genetic diseases; measurement of sensitivity and specificity in tumor-tissue genomic analysis with mixed-cells; mechanism analysis of differentiation and proliferation of cancer stem cell for academic purpose. Our single- cell RNA-seq technique shows that fragments were 250-450 bp after fragmentation, amplification, and adapter addition. There were 11.6 million reads mapped in raw sequencing reads (19.6 million). The numbers of mapped genes, mapped transcripts, and mapped exons were 31,332, 41,210, and 85,786, respectively. All QC results demonstrated that RNA-seq techniques could be used for single-cell genomic performance. Analysis of the mapped genes showed that the number of genes mapped by RNA-seq (6767 genes) was much higher than that of differential display (288 libraries) among similar specimens which we have developed and published. The single-cell RNA-seq can detect gene splicing using different subtype TGF-beta analysis. The results from using Q-rtPCR tests demonstrated that sensitivity is 76% and specificity is 55% from single-cell RNA-seq technique with some gene expression missing (2/8 genes). However, it will be feasible to use RNA-seq techniques to contribute to genomic medicine at single-cell level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunbo Xu
- Department of Computer Science, MCG, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Hongliang Hu
- Renji Hospital of Shanghai, Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Zheng
- School of Computer Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798
| | - Biaoru Li
- Department of Pediatrics, MCG, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
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35
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Haselgrübler T, Haider M, Ji B, Juhasz K, Sonnleitner A, Balogi Z, Hesse J. High-throughput, multiparameter analysis of single cells. Anal Bioanal Chem 2013; 406:3279-96. [PMID: 24292433 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-013-7485-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2013] [Revised: 11/04/2013] [Accepted: 11/04/2013] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Heterogeneity of cell populations in various biological systems has been widely recognized, and the highly heterogeneous nature of cancer cells has been emerging with clinical relevance. Single-cell analysis using a combination of high-throughput and multiparameter approaches is capable of reflecting cell-to-cell variability, and at the same time of unraveling the complexity and interdependence of cellular processes in the individual cells of a heterogeneous population. In this review, analytical methods and microfluidic tools commonly used for high-throughput, multiparameter single-cell analysis of DNA, RNA, and proteins are discussed. Applications and limitations of currently available technologies for cancer research and diagnostics are reviewed in the light of the ultimate goal to establish clinically applicable assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Haselgrübler
- Center for Advanced Bioanalysis GmbH, Gruberstraße 40-42, 4020, Linz, Austria,
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