Tumor Biology Department, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA.
Cancer Biology Ph.D. Program, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA.
Cancer Metastasis Rev. 2023 Dec;42(4):1133-1146. doi: 10.1007/s10555-023-10124-z. Epub 2023 Jul 13.
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are known to be prognostic for metastatic relapse and are detected in patients as solitary cells or cell clusters. Circulating tumor cell clusters (CTC clusters) have been observed clinically for decades and are of significantly higher metastatic potential compared to solitary CTCs. Recent studies suggest distinct differences in CTC cluster biology regarding invasion and survival in circulation. However, differences regarding dissemination, dormancy, and reawakening require more investigations compared to solitary CTCs. Here, we review the current state of CTC cluster research and consider their clinical significance. In addition, we discuss the concept of collective invasion by CTC clusters and molecular evidence as to how cluster survival in circulation compares to that of solitary CTCs. Molecular differences between solitary and clustered CTCs during dormancy and reawakening programs will also be discussed. We also highlight future directions to advance our current understanding of CTC cluster biology.
循环肿瘤细胞（CTCs）已被证实与转移性复发具有预后价值，并可在患者体内作为单个细胞或细胞簇被检测到。数十年来，临床已经观察到循环肿瘤细胞簇（CTC 簇），与单个 CTC 相比，其具有显著更高的转移潜能。最近的研究表明，CTC 簇在循环中的侵袭和生存能力方面存在明显不同的生物学差异。然而，与单个 CTC 相比，有关其播散、休眠和再激活的差异仍需要更多的研究。在这里，我们综述了 CTC 簇研究的现状，并考虑了其临床意义。此外，我们还讨论了 CTC 簇的集体侵袭概念，以及有关循环中 CTC 簇存活与单个 CTC 存活相比的分子证据。我们还将讨论在休眠和再激活程序期间，单个 CTC 和簇化 CTC 之间的分子差异。我们还强调了推进我们目前对 CTC 簇生物学理解的未来方向。
