Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 19, 2025
Adaptation of Semiautomated Circulating Tumor Cell CTC Assays for Clinical and Preclinical Research Applications
Published on: February 28, 2014
Automated Capture and Analysis of Circulating Tumor Cells in Pediatric, Adolescent and Young Adult Patients with
Wafik Zaky1, Dristhi Ragoonanan1, Izhar Batth1
1Department of Pediatrics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77023, USA.
Abstract:
Tumors of the central nervous system (CNS) are the most common and lethal childhood malignancy. Detection of residual disease and longitudinal monitoring of treatment response in patients are challenging and rely on serial imaging. This current standard of care fails to detect microscopic disease or provide molecular characteristics of residual tumors. As such, there is dire need for minimally invasive liquid biopsy techniques. We have previously shown the high specificity of using cell surface vimentin (CSV) to identify circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from patients bearing various types of cancers. Here, we describe the first report of CTCs captured from peripheral blood samples in 58 pediatric CNS tumor patients. In this study, we used a CSV-coated cell capture chip, the Abnova CytoQuest automated CTC isolation system, to boost the CTC capture from pediatric patients with CNS tumors. We successfully isolated CTCs in six glioma patients using immunostaining of histone H3 lysine27-to-methionine (H3K27M) mutations which are highly expressed by this tumor. We show that CSV is a viable marker for CNS CTC isolation and that this is a feasible method for detecting microscopic disease. Larger-scale studies focusing on CTCs in pediatric CNS tumors to explore their diagnostic and prognostic value are warranted.
Insights
Researchers identified circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in pediatric patients with central nervous system (CNS) tumors. This novel liquid biopsy method using cell surface vimentin (CSV) shows promise for detecting microscopic disease in pediatric CNS cancers.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Pediatric Medicine
- Biotechnology
- Molecular Diagnostics
Background:
- Central nervous system (CNS) tumors represent the most frequent and fatal pediatric malignancy.
- Current diagnostic and monitoring methods, such as serial imaging, are limited in detecting microscopic disease and molecular tumor characteristics.
- There is a critical need for minimally invasive liquid biopsy techniques for pediatric CNS tumors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report the first successful isolation of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from pediatric patients with CNS tumors.
- To evaluate the feasibility of using cell surface vimentin (CSV) for CTC capture in this patient population.
- To explore the potential of CTC detection for identifying microscopic disease in pediatric CNS tumors.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a CSV-coated cell capture chip (Abnova CytoQuest automated CTC isolation system) for CTC isolation from peripheral blood samples.
- Successfully isolated CTCs from 58 pediatric CNS tumor patients.
- Employed immunostaining for histone H3 lysine27-to-methionine (H3K27M) mutations to confirm CTCs in glioma patients.
Main Results:
- Successfully isolated CTCs from pediatric patients with CNS tumors, marking a significant advancement.
- Demonstrated the isolation of CTCs in six glioma patients, confirmed by H3K27M mutation staining.
- Confirmed cell surface vimentin (CSV) as a viable marker for CNS CTC isolation.
Conclusions:
- Cell surface vimentin (CSV) is a viable marker for isolating circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from pediatric CNS tumors.
- The developed method offers a feasible approach for detecting microscopic disease in pediatric CNS tumors.
- Larger studies are warranted to investigate the diagnostic and prognostic value of CTCs in pediatric CNS tumors.
