Circulating Tumor Cells Heterogeneity and Precision Oncology “How Can You Govern a Country Which Has 246 Varieties of Cheese?” ― Charles DE Gaulle

Dear Colleagues,

Cancer is as an invasive species, which is defined as any kind of living organism that is not native to an ecosystem, reproduces quickly, and spreads aggressively, with the potential to cause harm. In order to efficiently colonize a wide range of different microenvironments, cancer cells maintain a high degree of cellular heterogeneity. Such a plastic adaptation to different microenvironments, which leads to the existence of different ecological niches occupied by phenotypically and genetically distinct cancer cell species, plays a crucial role in regulating disease progression and therapeutic response. When cancer cells enter blood (circulating tumor cells, CTCs) they get in touch with the selective pressure of microenvironmental factors that are totally novel for cells arising from a solid tumor mass, leading to the generation of heterogeneous CTCs subpopulations, each with specific genomic features.

This Special Issue aims to deepen the knowledge of the genomic and transcriptional heterogeneity of the CTC compartment, and its significance for clinical decision making. We welcome submissions that will contribute to understanding how the blood microenvironment might shape the CTCs genome and how the maintenance of heterogeneity at a CTC level might affect precision medicine in oncology.

This is the conjunct Special Issue both in Cancers and Diagnostics. Authors are free to choose the journal they would like to submit to based on their submission topic.

Prof. Dr. Paola Gazzaniga
Dr. Chiara Nicolazzo
Guest Editors

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