Single Cell Transcriptome in Colorectal Cancer-Current Updates on Its Application in Metastasis, Chemoresistance and the Roles of Circulating Tumor Cells

Overview

Journal Front Pharmacol

Date 2020 Mar 17

PMID 32174835

Citations 29

Authors

Francis Yew Fu Tieng

Rashidah Baharudin

Nadiah Abu

Ryia-Illani Mohd Yunos

Learn-Han Lee

Nurul-Syakima Ab Mutalib

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is among the most common cancer worldwide, a challenge for research, and a model for studying the molecular mechanisms involved in its development. Previously, bulk transcriptomics analyses were utilized to classify CRC based on its distinct molecular and clinicopathological features for prognosis and diagnosis of patients. The introduction of single-cell transcriptomics completely turned the table by enabling the examination of the expression levels of individual cancer cell within a single tumor. In this review, we highlighted the importance of these single-cell transcriptomics analyses as well as suggesting circulating tumor cells (CTCs) as the main focus of single-cell RNA sequencing. Characterization of these cells might reveal the intratumoral heterogeneity present in CRC while providing critical insights into cancer metastasis. To summarize, we believed the analysis of gene expression patterns of CTC from CRC at single-cell resolution holds the potential to provide key information for identification of prognostic and diagnostic markers as well as the development of precise and personalized cancer treatment.

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