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Molecular Assays for the Detection and Molecular Characterization of CTCs

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Book cover Circulating Tumor Cells

Part of the book series: Current Cancer Research ((CUCR))

Abstract

Detection of Circulating Tumor Cells (CTC) in peripheral blood can serve as a “liquid biopsy” approach and has thus emerged lately as one of the hottest fields in cancer research. A variety of molecular assays are continuously been developed for CTC detection and molecular characterization. Molecular assays are based on the nucleic acid analysis in CTCs like RT-qPCR, multiplex RT-qPCR, methylation specific PCR, ARMS-PCR, and next-generation sequencing technologies. The main strategies are based on total RNA isolation and subsequent mRNA quantification of specific genes, and isolation of genomic DNA for DNA methylation studies and mutation analysis. Molecular characterization of CTC holds considerable promise for the identification of therapeutic targets and resistance mechanisms in CTCs as well as for the stratification of patients and real-time monitoring of systemic therapies. Quality control and standardization of these methodologies is very important for the incorporation of CTCs into prospective clinical trials testing their clinical utility. This review is mainly focused on the basic principles and clinical applications of molecular assays that are currently used for the detection and molecular characterization of CTCs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Analysis of Circulating Tumor Cells Lab, Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Athens, Athens, 15771, Greece

    Evi S. Lianidou Ph.D., Athina Markou Ph.D. & Areti Strati Ph.D.

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  1. Evi S. Lianidou Ph.D.
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  2. Athina Markou Ph.D.
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  3. Areti Strati Ph.D.
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Correspondence to Evi S. Lianidou Ph.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Jackson Memorial Hospital, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA

    Richard J. Cote

  2. University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA

    Ram H. Datar

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Lianidou, E.S., Markou, A., Strati, A. (2016). Molecular Assays for the Detection and Molecular Characterization of CTCs. In: Cote, R., Datar, R. (eds) Circulating Tumor Cells. Current Cancer Research. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-3363-1_4

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