Molecular profiling of single circulating tumor cells from lung cancer patients

There exists an urgent need for minimally invasive molecular analysis tools for cancer assessment and management, particularly in advanced-stage lung cancer, when tissue procurement is challenging and gene mutation profiling is crucial to identify molecularly targeted agents for treatment. High-throughput compartmentalization and multigene profiling of individual circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from whole-blood samples using modular gene panels may facilitate highly sensitive, yet minimally invasive characterization of lung cancer for therapy prediction and monitoring. We envision this nanoplatform as a compelling research tool to investigate the dynamics of cancer disease processes, as well as a viable clinical platform for minimally invasive yet comprehensive cancer assessment.