Targeting circulating tumor cell‒neutrophil interactions: nanoengineered strategies for inhibiting cancer metastasis

PMCID: PMC12175327

PMID: 40528159

DOI: 10.1186/s12951-025-03522-8

Journal: Journal of nanobiotechnology

Publication Date: 2025-6-17

Authors: Su Y, Leng M, Yang Q, Jiang W, Xiang G, et al.

Key Points

• Neutrophil-CTC interactions are a critical mechanism driving cancer metastasis through multiple biological processes
• Nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems show promise in reducing metastatic potential by targeting CTC-neutrophil clusters
• Interdisciplinary research is needed to overcome technical barriers and facilitate clinical translation of nanomedicine approaches

Summary

This comprehensive review explores the critical role of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and neutrophils in cancer metastasis, highlighting the potential of nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems as a promising therapeutic strategy. Metastasis remains the leading cause of cancer-related mortality, with conventional treatments often demonstrating limited efficacy and potentially paradoxically promoting metastatic spread. The review systematically examines how neutrophil-CTC interactions facilitate tumor progression through multiple biological mechanisms, including genomic instability, cytokine secretion, and extracellular matrix remodeling.

Nanotechnology offers a transformative approach to disrupting CTC-neutrophil crosstalk, with engineered nanocarriers demonstrating significant potential in targeting and suppressing metastatic processes. By leveraging unique physicochemical properties, these nanoplatforms can optimize drug delivery, reduce off-target toxicity, and actively target CTCs and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). However, critical challenges remain in clinical translation, including immunogenicity concerns, manufacturing standardization, and long-term stability issues that require interdisciplinary collaboration and further research.