Circulating tumor cells in precision medicine: challenges and opportunities

Brittany Rupp; Harrison Ball; Fulei Wuchu; Deepak Nagrath; Sunitha Nagrath

doi:10.1016/j.tips.2022.02.005

Circulating tumor cells in precision medicine: challenges and opportunities

Trends Pharmacol Sci. 2022 May;43(5):378-391. doi: 10.1016/j.tips.2022.02.005. Epub 2022 Mar 7.

Authors

Brittany Rupp¹, Harrison Ball¹, Fulei Wuchu², Deepak Nagrath³, Sunitha Nagrath⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA; Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109,USA.
² Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
³ Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109,USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. Electronic address: dnagrath@umich.edu.
⁴ Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA; Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109,USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. Electronic address: snagrath@umich.edu.

PMID: 35272862
DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2022.02.005

Abstract

The mutational and phenotypic landscape of tumors is dynamic, requiring constant monitoring of cancer patients to provide the most up-to-date and effective care. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) obtained via liquid biopsy can provide tumor DNA, RNA, and protein information that can aid in the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of patients. There have been many recent studies and advances in using CTC enumeration, characterization, and expansion to provide personalized cancer treatment, validating the benefit of using CTCs as a biomarker in standard of care procedures. In this paper, we aim to summarize these advances, their limitations, and suggest future areas of study necessary to bring CTC analysis to clinics.

Keywords: circulating tumor cells; liquid biopsy; organoids; personalized medicine; single cell analysis.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Biomarkers, Tumor / genetics
Humans
Liquid Biopsy / methods
Mutation
Neoplastic Cells, Circulating* / pathology
Precision Medicine / methods
Prognosis

Substances

Biomarkers, Tumor

Grants and funding

R01 CA208335/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States