Microtentacles tip the balance of cytoskeletal forces in circulating tumor cells.

Detection of circulating tumor cells (CTC) is advancing as an effective predictor of patient outcome and therapeutic response. Unfortunately, our knowledge of CTC biology remains limited, and the impact of drug treatments on CTC metastatic potential is currently unclear. Improved CTC imaging in vivo and analysis of free-floating tumor cells now show that cytoskeletal regulation in CTCs contrasts starkly with tumor cells attached to extracellular matrix. In this review, we examine how persistent microtubule stabilization promotes the formation of microtentacles on the surface of detached breast tumor cells and enhances metastatic potential. ©2010 AACR.