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Patient Derived Cell Culture and Isolation of CD133+ Putative Cancer Stem Cells from Melanoma
Published on: March 13, 2013
21.9K
Isolation of Circulating Melanoma Cells.
Jie Ma1,2, Markus H Frank3,4
1Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|September 30, 2015
Summary
Researchers developed a sensitive method to isolate circulating melanoma cells (CMCs), crucial for understanding melanoma metastasis. This technique enriches for melanoma stem cells, enabling further study of these critical cancer cells.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Cell Biology
- Cancer Metastasis
Background:
- Circulating melanoma cells (CMCs) are key drivers of melanoma metastasis.
- Isolating CMCs is difficult due to their low numbers and lack of specific markers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a sensitive and adaptable method for isolating CMCs.
- To enable further investigation into CMC biology and metastatic potential.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a novel isolation technique employing two independent cell surface markers.
- Adapted the method for enrichment of melanoma stem cells expressing ABCB5.
- Performed xenotransplantation assays to assess tumorigenicity of isolated CMCs.
Main Results:
- Achieved high sensitivity for CMC enrichment.
- Isolated CMCs were enriched for ABCB5-positive melanoma stem cells.
- Isolated CMCs demonstrated tumorigenic potential in vivo.
Conclusions:
- The developed method offers a sensitive approach for CMC isolation and characterization.
- This technique facilitates the study of melanoma stem cells and their role in metastasis.
- The method is adaptable for incorporating additional melanoma-specific markers for comprehensive analysis.
