Epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity in circulating tumour cells from patients with metastatic cancers and PDX models

There is growing concern about the relevance of epithelial mesenchymal plasticity (EMP) status of primary tumours in influencing their metastatic potential. Circulating tumour cells (CTCs) provide a window into the metastatic process, and molecular characterisation of CTCs could lead to better understanding of the mechanisms involved in the metastatic cascade. This thesis is an investigation of molecular characteristics of EMP in tumours and CTCs using patient-derived xenograft models and patient blood samples. The CTC heterogeneity observed emphasises the complexity in CTC isolation and classification and supports the increasingly recognised importance of the epithelial-mesenchymal hybrid state in cancer progression and metastasis