Matthew Rettig, MD

About Matthew Rettig, MD

A Nano-Structured Platform for Enhanced Detection of CTCs in Prostate Cancer Patients
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are cancer cells that break away from either the primary tumor or metastatic lesions and enter blood in circulation. There is great interest in CTCs because they have the potential to provide clinicians with vital information of a patients’ cancer and are accessible (“liquid biopsy”) without having to perform an invasive tumor tissue biopsy. CTCs can be captured using a variety of technologies. A technical challenge has been to capture a sufficient number of viable CTCs to conduct molecular studies. Dr. Rettig and his team at UCLA have developed a novel and inexpensive cell capture system applying complex nanotechnology and cell biology to collect large numbers of viable CTCs from patients with metastatic prostate cancer. The collection of viable CTCs will enable Dr. Rettig’s group to define the molecular alterations in prostate cancer cells that confer progression and lethality. Ex vivo (outside of the body) preparations of patient CTCs will also be useful in selecting appropriate therapies for individual patients and for refining their prognosis. Success of this project will translate into more informed treatment strategies and may identify new therapeutic targets.