Circulating Tumor Cells: How Far Have We Come with Mining These Seeds of Metastasis?
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are cancer cells that slough off from the tumor and circulate in the peripheral blood and lymphatic system as micro metastases that eventually results in macro metastases. Through a simple blood draw, sensitive CTC detection from clinical samples has proven to be a use...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-02-01
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| Series: | Cancers |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/16/4/816 |
| _version_ | 1797298654984273920 |
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| author | Vijay Radhakrishnan Jussuf T. Kaifi Kanve N. Suvilesh |
| author_facet | Vijay Radhakrishnan Jussuf T. Kaifi Kanve N. Suvilesh |
| author_sort | Vijay Radhakrishnan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are cancer cells that slough off from the tumor and circulate in the peripheral blood and lymphatic system as micro metastases that eventually results in macro metastases. Through a simple blood draw, sensitive CTC detection from clinical samples has proven to be a useful tool for determining the prognosis of cancer. Recent technological developments now make it possible to detect CTCs reliably and repeatedly from a simple and straightforward blood test. Multicenter trials to assess the clinical value of CTCs have demonstrated the prognostic value of these cancer cells. Studies on CTCs have filled huge knowledge gap in understanding the process of metastasis since their identification in the late 19th century. However, these rare cancer cells have not been regularly used to tailor precision medicine and or identify novel druggable targets. In this review, we have attempted to summarize the milestones of CTC-based research from the time of identification to molecular characterization. Additionally, the need for a paradigm shift in dissecting these seeds of metastasis and the possible future avenues to improve CTC-based discoveries are also discussed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T22:39:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e258506805ff41d880ab38dca9b6f1b1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-6694 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T22:39:08Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cancers |
| spelling | doaj.art-e258506805ff41d880ab38dca9b6f1b12024-02-23T15:11:20ZengMDPI AGCancers2072-66942024-02-0116481610.3390/cancers16040816Circulating Tumor Cells: How Far Have We Come with Mining These Seeds of Metastasis?Vijay Radhakrishnan0Jussuf T. Kaifi1Kanve N. Suvilesh2Department of Surgery, Ellis Fischel Cancer Center, Roy Blunt NextGen Precision Health Institute, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USADepartment of Surgery, Ellis Fischel Cancer Center, Roy Blunt NextGen Precision Health Institute, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USADepartment of Surgery, Ellis Fischel Cancer Center, Roy Blunt NextGen Precision Health Institute, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USACirculating tumor cells (CTCs) are cancer cells that slough off from the tumor and circulate in the peripheral blood and lymphatic system as micro metastases that eventually results in macro metastases. Through a simple blood draw, sensitive CTC detection from clinical samples has proven to be a useful tool for determining the prognosis of cancer. Recent technological developments now make it possible to detect CTCs reliably and repeatedly from a simple and straightforward blood test. Multicenter trials to assess the clinical value of CTCs have demonstrated the prognostic value of these cancer cells. Studies on CTCs have filled huge knowledge gap in understanding the process of metastasis since their identification in the late 19th century. However, these rare cancer cells have not been regularly used to tailor precision medicine and or identify novel druggable targets. In this review, we have attempted to summarize the milestones of CTC-based research from the time of identification to molecular characterization. Additionally, the need for a paradigm shift in dissecting these seeds of metastasis and the possible future avenues to improve CTC-based discoveries are also discussed.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/16/4/816circulating tumor cellsepithelial to mesenchymal transitionsmetastasisCTC-derived modelsminimal residual diseasebiomarker |
| spellingShingle | Vijay Radhakrishnan Jussuf T. Kaifi Kanve N. Suvilesh Circulating Tumor Cells: How Far Have We Come with Mining These Seeds of Metastasis? Cancers circulating tumor cells epithelial to mesenchymal transitions metastasis CTC-derived models minimal residual disease biomarker |
| title | Circulating Tumor Cells: How Far Have We Come with Mining These Seeds of Metastasis? |
| title_full | Circulating Tumor Cells: How Far Have We Come with Mining These Seeds of Metastasis? |
| title_fullStr | Circulating Tumor Cells: How Far Have We Come with Mining These Seeds of Metastasis? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Circulating Tumor Cells: How Far Have We Come with Mining These Seeds of Metastasis? |
| title_short | Circulating Tumor Cells: How Far Have We Come with Mining These Seeds of Metastasis? |
| title_sort | circulating tumor cells how far have we come with mining these seeds of metastasis |
| topic | circulating tumor cells epithelial to mesenchymal transitions metastasis CTC-derived models minimal residual disease biomarker |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/16/4/816 |
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