Laboratory Testing for Tie-2 Expressing Monocytes (TEMs) in Blood

University Health Network, Toronto

Status: Completed

Conditions: Advanced Cancer; Healthy

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01543841

TEMs-DC-001

Details and patient eligibility

About

Tie-2 expressing monocytes (TEMs) are a specific type of blood cell that are present in healthy individuals and in people with cancer. These cells may play a role in the growth of blood vessels (veins/arteries), and may be particularly important in the growth of blood vessels that supply tumours. Understanding how these cells work may therefore help researchers to develop cancer treatments that starve tumors of their blood supply.

This research study involves an analysis of the behaviour of blood cells in response to different drugs in a test tube. The goal is to develop tests that can then be used to monitor patients treated with drugs that target blood vessel growth.

Enrollment: 20 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Healthy volunteers

  • Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document.

• Patients with advancer cancer

  • Participants must have histologically confirmed metastatic or unresectable solid tumors.
  • Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document.

Exclusion criteria

• Healthy volunteers

  • History of cancer within the past 5 years
  • Major medical condition undergoing active therapy

• Patients with advancer cancer

  • Active hematologic malignancy (leukemia, lymphoma, myeloproliferative disorder).
  • Active treatment on a Phase I clinical trial

Trial design

20 participants in 2 patient groups

Advanced Cancer

Description:

Patients with histologically confirmed metastatic or unresectable solid tumors will have one tube of whole blood (\~6mL) collected at the time of venipuncture for routine sample collection. The sample will undergo in vitro stimulation of TEMs with ANG 1 and 3 in the presence or absence of pharmalogic inhibitors, and flow cytometry analysis.

Healthy Volunteers

Description:

Eligible volunteers will have one tube of whole blood (\~6mL) collected. The sample will undergo in vitro stimulation of TEMs with ANG 1 and 3 in the presence or absence of pharmalogic inhibitors, and flow cytometry analysis.