Circulating cells section
This section specialises in exploration of circulating tumour cells (CTC) and circulating endothelial or endothelial progenitor cells (CEC & CEP). It is also engaged in assessment of plasma and serum protein markers such as angiogenic factors:
- Study of circulating endothelial cells (CEC), endothelial progenitor cells (CEP) and circulating tumour cells (CTC) in therapeutic trials and academic and commercial studies
- Research on the clinical relevance of these cells (eg. PHRC [hospital programme of clinical research] CTC phase I, therapeutic trials)
- R&D activity: evaluation of new methods of detection of CTC (Iset®; prototyping of micro fluidic systems…); development of original methods of identification and phenotypic and molecular characterisation of CTC using immunofluorescence, FISH (looking for amplification and rearrangement) or laser microdissection of single cells (looking for mutations).
- Specific research projects:
- Phenotypic and molecular characterisation of CTCs in non-small cell lung cancers (project on ALK and ROS1 gene rearrangements and EGFR mutations); in prostate cancer (amplification of AR gene, rearrangement of ERG); and breast cancer (amplification of HER2)
- Study of mechanisms of resistance in the CTC to targeted therapy (in particular to ALK inhibitors)
- Development of mouse models with a view to establishing the primary diagnosis from CTCs and characterising the metastatic potential of CTC sub-populations.
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