Evaluation of the Circulatory Mammary Cancer Stem Cells Enumeration in Monitoring and Prediction of Plasmonic Photothermal Therapy Antitumor Activity in Cats

Abstract

Feline mammary carcinoma (FMC) represents the third common type of tumors in cats. Almost 90% of these tumors are malicious, aggressive and have metastatic capacities. Cats consider the compatible animal model for human breast cancer (HBC) researches. Many of studies have proved the role of Tumor Initiating Cells (TIC) or Cancer Stem Cells (CSC) in breast cancer recurrence and metastasis. Breast Cancer Stem cells (BCSCs) that have CD44+/CD24- and /or CD133+ phenotype have been associated with enhanced invasive and metastatic potentials in human and companion animals' cancers.

By Endothelial- Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) process, some tumor cells (known by Circulating Tumor Cells, CTCs) can intravasate to the surrounding blood or lymphatic vessels, survive in the circulation or lymphatic system and finally extravasate to the remote sites. The serial analysis of CTCs and cCSCs in the Peripheral Blood (PB) considered an efficient non-invasive easily accessible approach for the prediction, diagnosis, and prognosis of metastatic breast cancer in both human and veterinary oncology researches.

As TICs showed high resistance against the regular chemo and radiotherapies, here appears the importance of the gold-based