# CIRCULATING TUMOR COMPONENTS

> **NIH NIH R01** · JOHN MUIR MEMORIAL HOSP (WALNUT CRK, CA) · 1988 · $300,821

## Abstract

Circulating breast epithelial antigens (CBEAgs) released into the
blood stream detect tumors and inform on the Ag make-up of the
tumor.   We developed sensitive and specific techniques for
CBEAgs identification and extraction from serum.  Our
monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) identify several CBEAgs and
determine their serum levels, study their metabolism and their
participation in immunocomplexes.  Thus, we continue to create
MoAbs against CBEAgs and use them in diagnostic and in host
immunoresponse studies and at the morphological level to
determine how they are released.  With these approaches, we plan
to: a) continue isolating and characterizing these CBEAgs.  Using
different isolation procedures, conditioned by the source of the
Ags (free or in immunocomplex form) their Ag heterogeneity and
degradation will be examined;  b) study the fate of CBEAgs in the
circulation (their physicochemical state, catabolic destruction,
etc.); c) investigate how these CBEAgs are released and enter the
circulation at the EM level; d) investigate the clinical significance
of these CBEAgs, their associated antibodies and circulating
immunocomplexes (CIC), and their ability to monitor benign and
malignant lesions of the breast.  Concurrently, we will investigate
how isolated CBEAgs and their corresponding MoAbs may affect
immunoreactants of breast cancer patients of varying tumor
burden; e) determine the impact of these CBEAgs on the hosts'
cellular immune response.

Our ability to identify CBEAgs enables us to characterize a tumor
mass by its Ag make-up from just a serum sample, determination
that could be of therapeutic and/or prognostic value.  In addition,
knowledge of integrity and physicochemical status of these
CBEAgs in circulation and how they are disposed of could help
assess the patient's immune status.  The ultrastructural study of
the release of these CBEAgs could provide us with understanding
about the way in which the tumor interacts with the host at the
cellular level, while experimentation that we also propose will
focus on the influence of these CBEAgs on the cellular immunity
of the breast cancer patient.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3179326
- **Project number:** 5R01CA039932-05
- **Recipient organization:** JOHN MUIR MEMORIAL HOSP (WALNUT CRK, CA)
- **Principal Investigator:** ROBERTO L CERIANI
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1988
- **Award amount:** $300,821
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1984-09-16 → 1990-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3179326

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3179326, CIRCULATING TUMOR COMPONENTS (5R01CA039932-05). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3179326. Licensed CC0.

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