Transcription profiling of CD146 immunomagnetically enriched circulating endothelial cells (CECs) from healthy donors and patients with metastatic breast, colorectal, prostate, lung and renal cancer

Increased numbers of endothelial cells are observed in peripheral blood of cancer patients. These circulating endothelial cells (CECs) may contribute to the formation of blood vessels in the tumor or reflect vascular damage caused by treatment or tumor growth. Characterization of these cells may aid in the understanding of the angiogenic process and may provide biomarkers for treatment efficacy of angiogenesis inhibitors. To identify markers typical for CECs in cancer patients we assessed global gene expression profiles of CD146 immunomagnetically enriched CECs from healthy donors and patients with metastatic breast, colorectal, prostate, lung and renal cancer.