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Single circulating tumor cell omics: Technologies and clinical applications

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  • Corresponding authors: bhe@njmu.edu.cn (B.H.); xwzhao@seu.edu.cn (X.Z.)
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    1. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) carry tumor DNA, RNA, and proteins in blood for non-invasive diagnosis.

      Single-cell omics technologies reveal CTC genomes, transcriptomes, proteomes, and metabolomes.

      CTC single-cell omics aids early detection, guides therapy, tracks drug resistance, and predicts prognosis.

      This review covers CTC enrichment, single-cell omics, and their clinical application in oncology.

      Integrating multi-omics with artificial intelligence and CTC models will advance precision cancer medicine.

  • Disseminating from primary or metastatic lesions, circulating tumor cells (CTCs) enter various body fluids—including blood, cerebrospinal fluid, and pleural effusions—acting as a liquid biopsy that provides a comprehensive molecular repository. The rapid maturation of single-cell omics has redefined CTC analysis, shifting the focus from simple enumeration to high-resolution molecular characterization. The application of these single-cell technologies has become pivotal for the next generation of precision oncology. This review first delineates the landscape of CTC enrichment, critically evaluating mainstream strategies based on biophysical and biochemical properties alongside emerging innovations. We then analyze the workflow of CTC single-cell omics analysis across five core dimensions: isolation techniques, genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics. Furthermore, we highlight the clinical translational value of these approaches across four critical axes: early cancer detection, molecular subtyping for companion diagnostics, dynamic monitoring of therapeutic resistance, and prognostic risk stratification. The analysis concludes by addressing current technical bottlenecks and outlining a roadmap for integrating CTC profiling into routine clinical practice.
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  • Cite this article:

    Zhang W., He L., Merzougui C., et al. (2026). Single circulating tumor cell omics: Technologies and clinical applications. The Innovation Medicine 4:100227. https://doi.org/10.59717/j.xinn-med.2026.100227
    Zhang W., He L., Merzougui C., et al. (2026). Single circulating tumor cell omics: Technologies and clinical applications. The Innovation Medicine 4:100227. https://doi.org/10.59717/j.xinn-med.2026.100227

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