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Integrative diagnosis of cancer by combining CTCs and associated peripheral blood cells in liquid biopsy

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Abstract

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs), as cells shed from solid tumor into the vasculature, play a significant role in tumor metastasis. In the peripheral blood, immune cells and stromal cells can interact with CTCs and influence their biological behaviors of survival, proliferation, dissemination, and immune evasion. These peripheral blood cells can evolve synergistically with CTCs to constitute the liquid microenvironment which is essential for tumor progression. Here, we review the mechanisms of peripheral blood cells interacting with CTCs and uncover their effects on both CTCs and tumor metastasis. Then, we introduce the applications of these CTC-associated peripheral blood cells in the clinical setting. Besides, some peripheral blood cell subsets are of additional clinical values to CTCs in cancer diagnosis and prognosis. To improve the clinical utility of CTCs, an integrative analysis of CTCs and associated peripheral blood cells should be advocated for, which could provide a novel insight into tumor biology and offer comprehensive information in cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy efficacy evaluation.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Science and Technology Innovation Fostering Foundation of Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University (cxpy20160025), and National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81672114). This work was also funded by Applied Basic Research Program of Science and Technology Bureau Foundation of Wuhan (No. 2016060101010054) and Wuhan City health and family planning medical talented youth development project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Laboratory Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, No 169 Donghu Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan, 430071, People’s Republic of China

    W.-W. Zhang, Y. Rong, C.-L. Luo & F.-B. Wang

  2. HERM, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, 14152, Solna, Sweden

    Q. Liu

  3. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Biomedical Imaging Research Institute, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA

    Y. Zhang

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  1. W.-W. Zhang
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  3. Q. Liu
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  4. C.-L. Luo
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  6. F.-B. Wang
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F-BW, WWZ, and YR conceived and designed the study. WWZ and YR drafted the manuscript. QL and YZ participated in the literature search and graphic design.

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Correspondence to F.-B. Wang.

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Zhang, WW., Rong, Y., Liu, Q. et al. Integrative diagnosis of cancer by combining CTCs and associated peripheral blood cells in liquid biopsy. Clin Transl Oncol 21, 828–835 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12094-018-02004-8

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