Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the main causes of cancer-related morbidity and mortality across the globe. Although serum biomarkers such as carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen 19–9 (CA-199) have been prevalently used as biomarkers in various cancers, they are neither very sensitive nor highly specific. Repeated tissue biopsies at different times of the disease can be uncomfortable for cancer patients. Additionally, the existence of tumor heterogeneity and the results of local biopsy provide limited information about the overall tumor biology. Against this backdrop, it is necessary to look for reliable and noninvasive biomarkers of CRC. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs), which depart from a primary tumor, enter the bloodstream, and imitate metastasis, have a great potential for precision medicine in patients with CRC. Various efficient CTC isolation platforms have been developed to capture and identify CTCs. The count of CTCs, as well as their biological characteristics and genomic heterogeneity, can be used for the early diagnosis, prognosis, and prediction of treatment response in CRC. This study reviewed the existing CTC isolation techniques and their applications in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of CRC. The study also presented their limitations and provided future research directions.
Highlights
Despite recent advancements, colorectal cancer (CRC) is still one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide
Genes and proteins expressed by Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) can be detected to evaluate the prognosis and recurrence of CRC
A uniform CTC cutoff value for clinical assessment of CRC progression and prognosis still lacks due to the differences in sampling, storage time, and enrichment methods
Summary
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is still one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The platform exploits the intrinsic properties of CTCs without adding biomarkers to the cell surface and can provide unmodified live CTCs for in vitro culture and downstream analysis [57, 58] The shortcomings of this device include the low capture rate of approximately 70% and the low efficiency of processing the peripheral blood of approximately 1 mL per hour [59]. Based on photoacoustic effect Bhattacharyya et al [60] used photoacoustic flow cytometry (PAFC) to detect CTCs in the peripheral blood of patients with breast cancer It works by the absorption of laser light through nanoparticles labeled with antibodies on target cells. The development of microfluidic-based CTC capture platforms is a hot research topic in recent years It can use the difference in cell size, and immunoaffinity, to separate CTCs, and has certain advantages over ordinary immunomagnetic beads.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
