PathScan^® Cancer Phenotype Antibody Array Kit (Fluorescent Readout) #14822

Despite shared hallmarks and common overarching principles, cancers are heterogeneous in nature. Widely used tumor derived cell lines often exhibit both genomic and proteomic differences relative to one another. Factors contributing to these differences include gradual accumulation of genetic lesions within cell lines, transcriptional networks and epigenetic marks remaining from the original tissue, and various adaptations to in vitro culture conditions. Cell lines may differ considerably in the architectural details of basic machineries, the wiring of signal transduction circuitry, and the set points of metabolic pathways. As a result, heterogeneous phenotypes within cell lines will manifest as differences in fundamental cellular functions and a range of behaviors under experimental conditions.
The cell surface represents a compartment where a high level of heterogeneity is displayed. Cancer cells can use the wide array of cell surface proteins to sense, attract, and respond to survival or growth factors in order to promote cancer cell proliferation and growth. Certain cell surface molecules can shield cancer cells from the immune response, help to procure nutrients and create more favorable conditions, and provide a means for the spread and colonization of the cancer cells to other tissues. The presence (or absence) of specific cellular proteins can be regarded as a characteristic phenotypic trait that allows for the classification of cancer cell type and may help predict cellular response to specific experimental conditions both in vitro and in vivo.
Understanding and modeling tumor cell behavior, sensitivity and resistance to various drugs, identification of oncogene dependencies and network vulnerabilities requires a systems-level measurement of multiple parameters. Therefore, it is important to simultaneously survey both the cell surface as well as key molecules that serve as indicators for cell cycle progression, epithelial to mesenchymal transition, and activation of the hypoxic response program.