Figure 1.

Platforms for circulating tumor cell isolation can be split into three main principles: (A) antibody-based, which utilizes antibodies to capture cell surface markers commonly expressed on circulating tumor cells (e.g., EpCAM), (B) RNA and protein-based, which detect the presence of CTCs based on either expressed RNA and/or secreted proteins, and (C) physical characteristic-based protocols, which capture CTCs from whole blood based on anticipated physical differences in CTCs and other cell populations such as red blood cells.