Breast Cancer Microvesicles as a Novel Plasma Biomarker and Therapeutic Target (IDEA)
Abstract
We have developed a bead capture assay for quantitation of breast cancer tumor microvesicles (MV) to predict clinical outcomes in breast cancer patients. Flow cytometry, as originally proposed, and as used by numerous investigators, is inadequate for this task. Anti-MUC1 coated beads are used to bind and isolate tumor MV from patient plasma. We have introduced a 100 nm filtration step of plasma prior to bead-capture in order to eliminate the contribution of soluble antigens and smaller exosomes. This allows to specifically assay MV of epithelial origin in the blood. We have adapted this platform to assay MUC1 MV for total protein, tissue factor, MMP-9, and total DNA. We have banked over 200 clinical samples involving 40 breast cancer patients and 18 controls and are assaying these samples to determine if breast cancer MV may represent a biomarker associated with more aggressive disease, and a potential therapeutic target.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 2009
- Accession Number
- ADA513009
Entities
People
- Kevin W. Harris
Organizations
- University of Alabama