With technological advances driving innovation in oncology, Uwe Jäntges explores the transformative potential of liquid biopsy technology in cancer research, with a special focus on cfDNA analysis.
The field of cancer research has been significantly advanced using liquid biopsy technology, opening valuable new avenues for investigating tumour biology, evolution, and treatment response through minimally invasive blood sampling. By analysing circulating biomarkers present in bodily fluids (primarily blood), liquid biopsies provide researchers with unprecedented access to tumour-derived materials without invasive tissue sampling.
At its core, liquid biopsy leverages the presence of tumour-derived materials in the bloodstream, including circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA), circulating tumour cells (CTCs), extracellular vesicles, and tumour-educated platelets.1 Among these, cell-free DNA (cfDNA) has emerged as a cornerstone biomarker with particularly promising research applications. This article explores the transformative potential of liquid biopsy technology in cancer research, with a special focus on cfDNA analysis, its research applications, and the technological advances driving innovation in oncology.
Biology of circulating biomarkers
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