Studying the role of macrophages in circulating prostate cancer cells
by in vivo flow cytometry

Xiaojun Cui; Jin Guo; Zhengqin Gu; Xunbin Wei

doi:10.1117/12.2001640

11 December 2012 Studying the role of macrophages in circulating prostate cancer cells by in vivo flow cytometry

Xiaojun Cui, Jin Guo, Zhengqin Gu, Xunbin Wei

Proceedings Volume 8553, Optics in Health Care and Biomedical Optics V; 85530W (2012) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2001640
Event: Photonics Asia, 2012, Beijing, China

Abstract

Metastasis is a very complicated multi-step process and accounts for the low survival rate of the cancerous patients. To metastasize, the malignant cells must detach from the primary tumor and migrate to secondary sites in the body through either blood or lymph circulation. Macrophages appear to be directly involved in tumor progression and metastasis. However, the role of macrophages in affecting cancer metastasis has not been fully elucidated. Here, we have utilized an emerging technique, namely in vivo flow cytometry (IVFC) to study the depletion kinetics of circulating prostate cancer cells in mice and how depletion of macrophages by the liposome-encapsulated clodronate affects the depletion kinetics. Our results show different depletion kinetics of PC-3 cells between macrophage-deficient group and the control group. The number of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in macrophage-deficient group decreases in a slower manner compared to the control mice group. The differences in depletion kinetics indicate that the absence of macrophages facilitates the stay of prostate cancer cells in circulation. We speculate that macrophages might be able to arrest, phagocytose and digest PC-3 cells. Therefore, the phagocytosis may mainly contribute to the depletion kinetic differences. The developed methods here would be useful to study the relationship between macrophages and tumor metastasis in small animal cancer model.

Citation Download Citation

Xiaojun Cui, Jin Guo, Zhengqin Gu, and Xunbin Wei "Studying the role of macrophages in circulating prostate cancer cells by in vivo flow cytometry", Proc. SPIE 8553, Optics in Health Care and Biomedical Optics V, 85530W (11 December 2012); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2001640

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