Development of Technologies for Rapid Isolation and Genome Sequencing of Single Circulating Tumor Cells in Prostate Cancer

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