Circulating Tumor Cells in Cancer Patients: Developments and Clinical Applications for Immunotherapy

Overview

Journal Mol Cancer

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialties Molecular Biology
Oncology

Date 2020 Jan 26

PMID 31980023

Citations 49

Authors

Xiaoming Zhong

Hangtian Zhang

Ying Zhu

Yuqing Liang

Zhuolin Yuan

Jiachen Li

Jing Li

Xin Li

Yifan Jia

Tian He

Jiangyuan Zhu

Yu Sun

Wengting Jiang

Hui Zhang

Cheng Wang

Zunfu Ke

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

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.

Citing Articles

A revolutionary era in advancing precision immuno-oncology; role of circulating tumor cells.

Bahmaie N, Ozensoy Guler O, Simsek E J Liq Biopsy. 2025; 6:100169.

PMID: 40027303 PMC: 11863822. DOI: 10.1016/j.jlb.2024.100169.

Tumor dormancy and relapse: understanding the molecular mechanisms of cancer recurrence.

Tufail M, Jiang C, Li N Mil Med Res. 2025; 12(1):7.

PMID: 39934876 PMC: 11812268. DOI: 10.1186/s40779-025-00595-2.

Circulating Tumor cells and multiple indicators combined to identify the risk of poorer prognosis in patients with resected non-small cell lung cancer.

Song J, Ye X, Peng Q, Ying X, Xiao H BMC Cancer. 2024; 24(1):1491.

PMID: 39627742 PMC: 11616275. DOI: 10.1186/s12885-024-13245-y.

Advances and challenges in the use of liquid biopsy in gynaecological oncology.

Zhang Y, Tian L Heliyon. 2024; 10(20):e39148.

PMID: 39492906 PMC: 11530831. DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e39148.

Nanoparticles as a novel key driver for the isolation and detection of circulating tumour cells.

Bashir S, Zia M, Shoukat M, Kaleem I, Bashir S Sci Rep. 2024; 14(1):22580.

PMID: 39343959 PMC: 11439955. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-67221-4.

References

Cheng J, Zhou T, Liu C, Shapiro J, BRAUER M, Kiefer M . Protection from Fas-mediated apoptosis by a soluble form of the Fas molecule. Science. 1994; 263(5154):1759-62. DOI: 10.1126/science.7510905. View

Barsoum I, Hamilton T, Li X, Cotechini T, Miles E, Siemens D . Hypoxia induces escape from innate immunity in cancer cells via increased expression of ADAM10: role of nitric oxide. Cancer Res. 2011; 71(24):7433-41. DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-11-2104. View

Coussens L, Werb Z . Inflammation and cancer. Nature. 2002; 420(6917):860-7. PMC: 2803035. DOI: 10.1038/nature01322. View

van Rooijen N, Sanders A . Liposome mediated depletion of macrophages: mechanism of action, preparation of liposomes and applications. J Immunol Methods. 1994; 174(1-2):83-93. DOI: 10.1016/0022-1759(94)90012-4. View

Khunger M, Hernandez A, Pasupuleti V, Rakshit S, Pennell N, Stevenson J . Programmed Cell Death 1 (PD-1) Ligand (PD-L1) Expression in Solid Tumors As a Predictive Biomarker of Benefit From PD-1/PD-L1 Axis Inhibitors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JCO Precis Oncol. 2022; 1:1-15. DOI: 10.1200/PO.16.00030. View

Wu M, Li C, Ruppert J, Chang C . Cytokeratin 8-MHC class I interactions: a potential novel immune escape phenotype by a lymph node metastatic carcinoma cell line. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2013; 441(3):618-23. DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2013.10.105. View

Nicholl M, Elashoff D, Takeuchi H, Morton D, Hoon D . Molecular upstaging based on paraffin-embedded sentinel lymph nodes: ten-year follow-up confirms prognostic utility in melanoma patients. Ann Surg. 2010; 253(1):116-22. PMC: 3046555. DOI: 10.1097/SLA.0b013e3181fca894. View

Bevaart L, Jansen M, van Vugt M, Verbeek J, van de Winkel J, Leusen J . The high-affinity IgG receptor, FcgammaRI, plays a central role in antibody therapy of experimental melanoma. Cancer Res. 2006; 66(3):1261-4. DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-05-2856. View

Tartour E, Pere H, Maillere B, Terme M, Merillon N, Taieb J . Angiogenesis and immunity: a bidirectional link potentially relevant for the monitoring of antiangiogenic therapy and the development of novel therapeutic combination with immunotherapy. Cancer Metastasis Rev. 2011; 30(1):83-95. DOI: 10.1007/s10555-011-9281-4. View

10.

Hallermalm K, De Geer A, Kiessling R, Levitsky V, Levitskaya J . Autocrine secretion of Fas ligand shields tumor cells from Fas-mediated killing by cytotoxic lymphocytes. Cancer Res. 2004; 64(18):6775-82. DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-04-0508. View

11.

Kohler S, Ullrich S, Richter U, Schumacher U . E-/P-selectins and colon carcinoma metastasis: first in vivo evidence for their crucial role in a clinically relevant model of spontaneous metastasis formation in the lung. Br J Cancer. 2009; 102(3):602-9. PMC: 2822933. DOI: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6605492. View

12.

Rizvi N, Hellmann M, Snyder A, Kvistborg P, Makarov V, Havel J . Cancer immunology. Mutational landscape determines sensitivity to PD-1 blockade in non-small cell lung cancer. Science. 2015; 348(6230):124-8. PMC: 4993154. DOI: 10.1126/science.aaa1348. View

13.

Hoshimoto S, Faries M, Morton D, Shingai T, Kuo C, Wang H . Assessment of prognostic circulating tumor cells in a phase III trial of adjuvant immunotherapy after complete resection of stage IV melanoma. Ann Surg. 2011; 255(2):357-62. PMC: 3320770. DOI: 10.1097/SLA.0b013e3182380f56. View

14.

Lambert A, Pattabiraman D, Weinberg R . Emerging Biological Principles of Metastasis. Cell. 2017; 168(4):670-691. PMC: 5308465. DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2016.11.037. View

15.

Mego M, Gao H, Cohen E, Anfossi S, Giordano A, Tin S . Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are associated with abnormalities in peripheral blood dendritic cells in patients with inflammatory breast cancer. Oncotarget. 2016; 8(22):35656-35668. PMC: 5482606. DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.10290. View

16.

Alfaro C, Suarez N, Gonzalez A, Solano S, Erro L, Dubrot J . Influence of bevacizumab, sunitinib and sorafenib as single agents or in combination on the inhibitory effects of VEGF on human dendritic cell differentiation from monocytes. Br J Cancer. 2009; 100(7):1111-9. PMC: 2670006. DOI: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6604965. View

17.

Oh K, Lee O, Shon S, Nam O, Ryu P, Seo M . A mutual activation loop between breast cancer cells and myeloid-derived suppressor cells facilitates spontaneous metastasis through IL-6 trans-signaling in a murine model. Breast Cancer Res. 2013; 15(5):R79. PMC: 3979084. DOI: 10.1186/bcr3473. View

18.

Gay L, Felding-Habermann B . Contribution of platelets to tumour metastasis. Nat Rev Cancer. 2011; 11(2):123-34. PMC: 6894505. DOI: 10.1038/nrc3004. View

19.

Carlo M, Voss M, Motzer R . Checkpoint inhibitors and other novel immunotherapies for advanced renal cell carcinoma. Nat Rev Urol. 2016; 13(7):420-31. PMC: 5532875. DOI: 10.1038/nrurol.2016.103. View

20.

Guibert N, Delaunay M, Lusque A, Boubekeur N, Rouquette I, Clermont E . PD-L1 expression in circulating tumor cells of advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with nivolumab. Lung Cancer. 2018; 120:108-112. DOI: 10.1016/j.lungcan.2018.04.001. View