articleBiomarker ResearchJan 28, 2026GOLD OA

Isolation and typing techniques for circulating tumor cells

Sichuan University · West China Second University Hospital of Sichuan University · +2 more institutions

PubMed
Indexed incrossrefdoajpubmed

Abstract

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are tumor cells that detach from primary tumors or metastatic sites and enter the peripheral blood. As an important biomarker for liquid biopsy, their detection and analysis have offered a promising avenue in early diagnosis, treatment response monitoring, and prognosis evaluation of tumors. Given the extreme rarity and high heterogeneity of CTCs, efficient and accurate separation and typing have become a primary research focus. This article systematically reviews the mainstream technologies for CTC separation and enrichment, including positive/negative selection based on immune markers, size/deformation/charge separation based on physical properties, and emerging microfluidic…

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