Abstract
Metastasis remains the principal trigger for relapse and mortality across diverse cancer types. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs), which originate from the primary tumor or its metastatic sites, traverse the vascular system, serving as precursors in cancer recurrence and metastasis. Nevertheless, before CTCs can establish themselves in the distant parenchyma, they must overcome significant challenges present within the circulatory system, including hydrodynamic shear stress (HSS), oxidative damage, anoikis, and immune surveillance. Recently, there has been a growing body of compelling evidence suggesting that a specific subset of CTCs can persist within the bloodstream, but the precise mechanisms of their survival remain largely elusive. This review aims to present an outline of the survival challenges encountered by CTCs and to summarize the recent advancements in understanding the underlying survival mechanisms, suggesting their implications for cancer treatment.
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This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (82073059, 82103364); the Sichuan Science and Technology Program (2022YFS0204); the Post-doctor Research Project, West China Hospital (2023HXBH127).
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F.B made contributions to the conception and design. S.Z and H.X wrote the manuscript. Y.D and H.H completed the figures. Q.T helped to revise the manuscript. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.
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Zhou, S., Xu, H., Duan, Y. et al. Survival mechanisms of circulating tumor cells and their implications for cancer treatment. Cancer Metastasis Rev (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10555-024-10178-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10555-024-10178-7