Fig. 1.

CTC capture and characterization workflow. CTCs were isolate from a xenograft murine model of human osteosarcoma cells. Human GFP-MMNG/HOS osteosarcoma cells were inoculated in close contact to the tibia of immunodeficient mice. The kinetic study of CTCs detection into the bloodstream was then carried out. A first pre-enrichment step was performed including successively: i) a reduction of blood volume by centrifugation; ii) two lyses of erythrocytes; iii) an immunomagnetic depletion of leukocytes and residual thrombocytes. In a second step, enriched samples were processed for isolating CTCs by flow cytometry or dielectrophoresis technology (DEPArray™). Isolated cells were enumerated, cultured and singles cells were analysed by RTqPCR.