Multiomics Profiling of Circulating Tumor Cells Reveals Metastatic Biology and Clinical Potential
This review surveys how genomic, epigenetic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic analyses of circulating tumor cells at single-cell resolution are illuminating metastatic mechanisms. For diagnostic labs, the work highlights CTC-based liquid biopsy as an emerging platform for real-time monitoring of tumor evolution, drug resistance, and minimal residual disease across cancer types.
The original study
A Molecular Voyage: Multiomics Insights into Circulating Tumor Cells.
- Authors
- Zhang YW, Gvozdenovic A, Aceto N
- Journal
- Cancer discovery
- Type
- Journal Article, Review
- PMID
- 38581442
Original abstract
UNLABELLED: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) play a pivotal role in metastasis, the leading cause of cancer-associated death. Recent improvements of CTC isolation tools, coupled with a steady development of multiomics technologies at single-cell resolution, have enabled an extensive exploration of CTC biology, unlocking insights into their molecular profiles. A detailed molecular portrait requires CTC interrogation across various levels encompassing genomic, epigenetic, transcriptomic, proteomic and metabolic features. Here, we review how state-of-the-art multiomics applied to CTCs are shedding light on how cancer spreads. Further, we highlight the potential implications of CTC profiling for clinical applications aimed at enhancing cancer diagnosis and treatment. SIGNIFICANCE: Exploring the complexity of cancer progression through cutting-edge multiomics studies holds the promise of uncovering novel aspects of cancer biology and identifying therapeutic vulnerabilities to suppress metastasis.