SYSTEMS AND METHODS EMPLOYING HUMAN STEM CELL MARKERS FOR DETECTION, DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF CIRCULATING TUMOR CELLS

摘要

The invention relates to systems and methods to detect circulating tumor cells in a blood sample obtained from a cancer patient. Further, this invention relates to systems and methods to determine a diagnosis or prognosis of aggressive and metastatic cancer by determining the presence and/or level of circulating tumor cells in a blood sample obtained from a cancer patient. The detection and diagnosis is based on the presence or absence of cells that express podocalyxin and/or TRA biomarkers.

主权项

1. A method of detecting the presence of circulating tumor cells in a first patient, comprising:
obtaining a first blood sample from the first patient; analyzing the first blood sample to determine a presence of cells that express podocalyxin and/or TRA molecules; determining the presence of circulating tumor cells based on the presence of cells that express podocalyxin and/or TRA molecules in the first blood sample; and determining the absence of circulating tumor cells based on the absence of cells that express podocalyxin and/or TRA molecules in the first blood sample.