The Metastatic Cascade as the Basis for Liquid Biopsy Development

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Molecular Biology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• The metastatic cascade is a key process in cancer progression.
• Innovative technologies have emerged for cancer biomarker discovery.
• Liquid biopsy offers a minimally invasive approach to cancer detection and monitoring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the biological principles of liquid biopsy.
• To discuss the clinical applications of circulating biomarkers.
• To explore how functional studies can expand liquid biopsy's utility.

Main Methods:

• Detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs).
• Analysis of circulating free nucleic acids (cfNA), including circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA).
• Characterization of circulating tumor-derived extracellular vesicles (ctEVs) and tumor-educated platelets (TEPs).

Main Results:

• Liquid biopsy enables early cancer screening and detection.
• It facilitates real-time monitoring of treatment response.
• Liquid biopsy aids in assessing tumor relapse risk, identifying therapeutic targets, and guiding patient stratification.

Conclusions:

• Liquid biopsy is a rapidly advancing field with significant clinical potential.
• Understanding the biological underpinnings of circulating biomarkers is crucial.
• Functional studies are key to unlocking the full clinical applications of liquid biopsy.