  Phenotype variations define heterogeneity of biological and molecular
systems, which play a crucial role in several mechanisms. Heterogeneity has
been demonstrated in tumor cells. Here, samples from blood of patients affected
from colon tumor were analyzed and fished with a microfluidic assay based on
galactose active moieties, and incubated, for culturing, in SCID mice.
Following the experimental investigation, a model based on Markov theory was
implemented and discussed to explain the equilibrium existing between
phenotypes of subpopulations of cells sorted using the microfluidic assay. The
model in combination with the experimental results had many implications for
tumor heterogeneity. It displayed interconversion of phenotypes, as observed
after experiments. The interconversion generates of metastatic cells and
implies that targeting the CTCs will be not an efficient method to prevent
tumor recurrence. Most importantly, understanding the transitions between cell
phenotypes in cell population can boost the understanding of tumor generation
and growth.
