Grant: Collaborative Health Research Projects

The vast majority of cancer deaths are caused by metastasis, or the spread of cancer fromone part of the body to another. In order for cancer to spread, cells known as circulating tumorcells, must detach from a tumor, circulate in the bloodstream, and reattach to a differenttissue. Therefore, circulating tumor cells are considered to be the agents of metastasis thatcould potentially be used to evaluate the genetic basis of each patients cancer and how theymight respond to potential treatments. Genetic analysis of circulating tumor cells is currentlylimited by the extreme rarity of these cells in the bloodstream, as well as by the differencesacross individual cells. This project aims to address this challenge by developing a technologyto rapidly isolate individual circulating tumor cells for genome sequencing. We will then testthis technology by isolating and sequencing single circulating tumor cells from patients withadvanced prostate cancer who are currently enrolled in related clinical studies. The genomesequence from single circulating tumor cells will then be compared with other available data inorder to determine its value in diagnosis and treatment. Genome sequencing is already beingused in some cancers to predict how patients will respond to certain drugs. This project willdevelop a technology to isolate and sequence cells that are most relevant to metastasis,which will give physicians significantly better information to evaluate each patients disease inorder to devise a personalized treatment plan.