Agent-based modelling reveals strategies to reduce the fitness and metastatic potential of circulating tumour cell clusters.

ABSTRACT: Metastasis-the ability of cancer cells to disperse throughout the body and establish new tumours at distant locations-is responsible for most cancer-related deaths. Although both single and clusters of circulating tumour cells (CTCs) have been isolated from cancer patients, CTC clusters are generally associated with higher metastatic potential and worse prognosis. From an evolutionary perspective, being part of a cluster can provide cells with several benefits both in terms of survival (e.g. protection) and reproduction (group dispersal). Thus, strategies aimed at inducing cluster dissociation could decrease the metastatic potential of CTCs. However, finding agents or conditions that induce the dissociation of CTC clusters is hampered by the fact that their detection, isolation and propaga

SUBMITTER: Campenni M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7428819 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature