Circulating tumor cell-blood cell crosstalk: Biology and clinical relevance

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are the seeds of distant metastasis, and the number of CTCs detected in the blood of cancer patients is associated with a worse prognosis. CTCs face critical challenges for their survival in circulation, such as anoikis, shearing forces, and immune surveillance. Thus, understanding the mecha-nisms and interactions of CTCs within the blood microenvironment is crucial for better understanding of met-astatic progression and the development of novel treatment strategies. CTCs interact with different hemato-poietic cells, such as platelets, red blood cells, neutrophils, macrophages, natural killer (NK) cells, lymphocytes, endothelial cells, and cancer-associated fibroblasts, which can affect CTC survival in blood. This interaction may take place either via direct cell-cell contact or through secreted molecules. Here, we re-view interactions of CTCs with blood cells and discuss the potential clinical relevance of these interactions as biomarkers or as targets for anti-metastatic therapies.

Automated summary

The interaction between circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and blood cells plays a crucial role in metastatic progression and anti-metastatic therapies.