Grant: Collaborative Health Research Projects

The vast majority of cancer deaths are caused by metastasis, or the spread of cancer from_x000D_ one part of the body to another. In order for cancer to spread, cells known as circulating tumor_x000D_ cells, must detach from a tumor, circulate in the bloodstream, and reattach to a different_x000D_ tissue. Therefore, circulating tumor cells are considered to be the agents of metastasis that_x000D_ could potentially be used to evaluate the genetic basis of each patients cancer and how they_x000D_ might respond to potential treatments. Genetic analysis of circulating tumor cells is currently_x000D_ limited by the extreme rarity of these cells in the bloodstream, as well as by the differences_x000D_ across individual cells. This project aims to address this challenge by developing a technology_x000D_ to rapidly isolate individual circulating tumor cells for genome sequencing. We will then test_x000D_ this technology by isolating and sequencing single circulating tumor cells from patients with_x000D_ advanced prostate cancer who are currently enrolled in related clinical studies. The genome_x000D_ sequence from single circulating tumor cells will then be compared with other available data in_x000D_ order to determine its value in diagnosis and treatment. Genome sequencing is already being_x000D_ used in some cancers to predict how patients will respond to certain drugs. This project will_x000D_ develop a technology to isolate and sequence cells that are most relevant to metastasis,_x000D_ which will give physicians significantly better information to evaluate each patients disease in_x000D_ order to devise a personalized treatment plan.