Circulating Factors—CAMLs, CTC/cfDNA—Predictive Factors to Aid in Diagnoses of Cancer and Determination of Its Recurrence

Dear Colleagues,

Evaluable biological specimens within circulation can aid in diagnosing the presence, progression or steady state of a malignancy and are fundamental in determining whether a cancer treatment is effective. Circulating cells and liquid components that are indicators of the presence of a malignancy have been identified in blood. Cellular components include cancer-associated macrophage-like cells (CAMLs). CAMLs are enlarged phagocytic macrophage-like cells ranging from 30 to 300 mm in length that stain positive for CD14 and CD45 with internal markers staining for endothelial cells, tumor/normal cells and fibroblasts. Tissue macrophages engulf and clear both dying and damaged normal cells, malignant cells and cell fragments from the body. Macrophages, via immunologic self-recognition of epitopes, have the ability to determine whether these cells are self or mutated. As a tumor advances, macrophages become larger. A second cell is an intact circulating tumor cell (CTC) that has detached from a tumor, entered lymphatic flow and emptied into the blood circulation. CTC testing is currently approved as a clinical test for breast, prostate and colorectal cancers. In addition to these cells, cell-free DNA is a blood component resulting both from normal and malignant cells. Cell-free DNA requires a base concentration to be detected and be able to differentiate tumor from normal DNA. Prior to treatment or at progression, the values of these components will vary with response to treatment, steady-state (non-progression but still the presence of a malignancy) and response to treatment. All three of these biological entities are capable of being informative regarding the status of a tumor and can be used to identify which mutations are active in the current malignancy. Combining CAML, CTC and cfDNA analyses as a strategy for screening high-risk populations has the potential to identify and treat patients in early stage disease, where it can have the greatest impact.

Dr. Katherine Alpaugh
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomedicines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• CAMLs
• CTC
• cfDNA
• high risk testing
• cancer screening
• treatment surveillance
• tumor status
• active mutations