Circulating Tumor Cells in Oncology: From Liquid Biopsy to Clinical Decision-Making
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Oncology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 November 2025 | Viewed by 10
Special Issue Editor
Interests: glioblastoma; TRP channel; mucolipins; autophagy; overall survival; transient receptor potential channels; tumor progression; chemotherapy resistance; cancer biology; cancer stem cell; circulating tumor cell; liquid biopsy; biomarkers; ion channel; natural compound; cannabinoids
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Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Despite significant advances in diagnostics and therapeutics, tissue biopsy continues to be the gold standard for cancer diagnosis and treatment planning. However, the limitations of this approach have become increasingly evident, particularly due to intratumoral heterogeneity, which can compromise the accuracy and representativeness of tissue-based assessments.
In this context, liquid biopsy is emerging as a promising, minimally invasive tool for precision oncology. Among its components, circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are gaining considerable attention for their potential to provide real-time insights into tumor dynamics. Since CTCs actively participate in the metastatic process, they offer clinically relevant information at the protein, RNA, and DNA levels.
Although several innovative approaches have been developed for the isolation and characterization of CTCs, significant technical and biological challenges remain. These include improving detection sensitivity, understanding the mechanisms governing their survival in the bloodstream, and deciphering the interactions between CTCs and blood immune cells. Moreover, the in vitro culture of CTCs represents a powerful strategy to explore their molecular features and functional properties more deeply.
The goal of this Special Issue is to highlight recent advances in CTC-based analyses across various cancer types, with a focus on their role in identifying novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers and in deepening our understanding of tumor biology. We welcome original research articles and reviews that explore the molecular mechanisms underlying CTC behavior and their integration into clinical workflows. Emphasis will be placed on how CTCs can support patient stratification, guide therapeutic decisions, and help overcome treatment resistance, ultimately contributing to the advancement of personalized cancer medicine.
We look forward to your valuable contributions to this Special Issue.
Dr. Maria Beatrice Morelli
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- circulating tumor cells (CTCs)
- liquid biopsy
- cancer biomarkers
- precision oncology
- metastasis
- cancer diagnostics
- cancer prognosis
- CTC enrichment
- CTC isolation techniques
- single-cell analysis
- tumor microenvironment
- CTC culture
- immune surveillance
- blood-based biomarkers
- molecular profiling
- CTC-derived cell lines
- treatment resistance
- personalized cancer therapy
- cell reprogramming
- anti-tumor immunity
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