Julia Ju

Ms. Julia Ju


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

4Years (2023-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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26 July 2023 in Cells
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
VVVasileios Vardas
Vasileios Vardas
JJJulia Ju
Julia Ju
ACAthina Christopoulou
Athina Christopoulou
Anastasia XagaraAnastasia Xagara
Anastasia Xagara
VGVassilis Georgoulias
Vassilis Georgoulias
Galatea KallergiGalatea Kallergi
Galatea Kallergi
Metastasis, rather than the growth of the primary tumor, accounts for approximately 90% of breast cancer patient deaths. Microtentacles (McTNs) formation represents an important mechanism of metastasis. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive subtype with limited targeted therapies. The present study aimed to isolate viable circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and functionally analyze them in response to drug treatment. CTCs from 20 TNBC patients were isolated and maintained in culture for 5 days. Biomarker expression was identified by immunofluorescence staining and VyCap analysis. Vinorelbine-induced apoptosis was evaluated based on the detection of M30-positive cells. Our findings revealed that the CTC absolute number significantly increased using TetherChips analysis compared to the number of CTCs in patients’ cytospins (p = 0.006) providing enough tumor cells for drug evaluation. Vinorelbine treatment (1 h) on live CTCs led to a significant induction of apoptosis (p = 0.010). It also caused a significant reduction in Detyrosinated α-tubulin (GLU), programmed death ligand (PD-L1)-expressing CTCs (p < 0.001), and disruption of McTNs. In conclusion, this pilot study offers a useful protocol using TetherChip technology for functional analysis and evaluation of drug efficacy in live CTCs, providing important information for targeting metastatic dissemination at a patient-individualized level.