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Updated: Jan 6, 2026

Circulating Tumor Cell Lines: an Innovative Tool for Fundamental and Translational Research
Published on: December 25, 2021
Circulating tumor cells as an emerging tool in cancer therapy
Ajay Balakrishnan1, Irene A George1, Prashant Kumar2
1Institute of Bioinformatics, International Technology Park, Bangalore, 560066 India.
Abstract:
Majority of the cancer-related deaths are related to metastasis during which cancer cells invade the surrounding tissues, enter (intravasation) and exit (extravasation) the peripheral circulation and seed distant organs. The Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs) exist in peripheral blood as single cells or as oligoclonal clusters of tumor cells along with platelets and lymphocytes. Detection of CTCs allows characterizing the tumors by their genotype and in predicting the prognosis and response to therapy and explants derived from these cells can be used in drug screening. In this review, we highlight the methods used for isolation and culture of CTCs and their clinical use.
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