Laboratory Testing for Tie-2 Expressing Monocytes (TEMs) in Blood

Tie-2 expressing monocytes (TEMs) are a specific type of blood cell that are present in healthy individuals and in people with cancer. These cells may play a role in the growth of blood vessels (veins/arteries), and may be particularly important in the growth of blood vessels that supply tumours. Understanding how these cells work may therefore help researchers to develop cancer treatments that starve tumors of their blood supply. This research study involves an analysis of the behaviour of blood cells in response to different drugs in a test tube. The goal is to develop tests that can then be used to monitor patients treated with drugs that target blood vessel growth.