Circulating tumor cells in cancer patients: developments and clinical applications for immunotherapy

• Published in: Molecular cancer Vol. 19; no. 1; p. 15
• Main Authors: Zhong, Xiaoming, Zhang, Hangtian, Zhu, Ying, Liang, Yuqing, Yuan, Zhuolin, Li, Jiachen, Li, Jing, Li, Xin, Jia, Yifan, He, Tian, Zhu, Jiangyuan, Sun, Yu, Jiang, Wengting, Zhang, Hui, Wang, Cheng, Ke, Zunfu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 24.01.2020; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Animals; Apoptosis; B cells; Biomarkers; Biomarkers, Tumor - metabolism; Biopsy; Cancer; Cancer immunotherapy; Cancer metastasis; Cancer research; Cancer therapies; Cancer treatment; Cell death; Circulating tumor cells (CTCs); Development and progression; Health aspects; Humans; Immune mechanisms; Immune system; Immunologic Factors - therapeutic use; Immunotherapy; Immunotherapy - methods; Isolation; Isolation technologies; Lymphocytes; Medical prognosis; Melanoma; Metastases; Metastasis; Neoplasms - blood; Neoplasms - drug therapy; Neoplasms - metabolism; Neoplasms - pathology; Neoplastic Cells, Circulating - drug effects; Neoplastic Cells, Circulating - immunology; Neoplastic Cells, Circulating - pathology; Nivolumab; Patients; Physical properties; Prognosis; Review; Technology; Technology application; Therapeutic applications; Tumor cells; Tumors; Immune mechanisms; Prognosis; Circulating tumor cells (CTCs); Immunotherapy; Isolation technologies
• ISSN: 1476-4598; 1476-4598
• DOI: 10.1186/s12943-020-1141-9

Cancer metastasis is the leading cause of cancer-related death. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are shed into the bloodstream from either primary or metastatic tumors during an intermediate stage of metastasis. In recent years, immunotherapy has also become an important focus of cancer research. Thus, to study the relationship between CTCs and immunotherapy is extremely necessary and valuable to improve the treatment of cancer. In this review, based on the advancements of CTC isolation technologies, we mainly discuss the clinical applications of CTCs in cancer immunotherapy and the related immune mechanisms of CTC formation. In order to fully understand CTC formation, sufficiently and completely understood molecular mechanism based on the different immune cells is critical. This understanding is a promising avenue for the development of effective immunotherapeutic strategies targeting CTCs.