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A Standardized Liquid Biopsy Preanalytical Protocol for Downstream Circulating-Free DNA Applications
Published on: September 16, 2022
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Branched, dendritic, and hyperbranched polymers in liquid biopsy device design
Michael J Poellmann1,2, Piper Rawding1, DaWon Kim1
1Pharmaceutical Sciences Division, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
Summary
Branched and hyperbranched polymers enhance liquid biopsy device performance by improving sensitivity and specificity. Further development of these polymers will advance early cancer detection and treatment strategies.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Materials Science
- Oncology
Background:
- Minimally invasive cancer tests, like liquid biopsies, are crucial for improving diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment research.
- Detecting scarce tumor material (DNA, proteins, exosomes, cells) in blood presents significant challenges for current liquid biopsy devices.
- Branched and hyperbranched polymers offer novel solutions to enhance the capabilities of liquid biopsy technologies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the chemistry and applications of branched and hyperbranched polymers in improving liquid biopsy device performance.
- To highlight how these polymers can overcome key limitations in detecting circulating tumor material.
- To emphasize the potential of advanced polymer chemistry in clinical oncology.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on branched and hyperbranched polymer chemistry.
- Analysis of polymer mechanisms for enhancing capture affinity, binding avidity, and reducing nonspecific adsorption.
- Exploration of polymer-based signal amplification strategies for low-abundance analytes.
- Discussion of applications in biosensing and nanodevices for liquid biopsies.
Main Results:
- Branched and hyperbranched polymers can significantly improve liquid biopsy device sensitivity through enhanced capture affinity.
- These polymers increase device specificity by promoting binding avidity and repelling nonspecific adsorption.
- Polymer architectures enable signal amplification, crucial for detecting minute amounts of tumor biomarkers.
- Demonstrated potential for improving the isolation and detection of circulating tumor DNA, exosomes, and cells.
Conclusions:
- Branched and hyperbranched polymers are key enabling materials for next-generation liquid biopsy devices.
- Their application can lead to more sensitive and specific cancer detection, aiding early diagnosis and prognosis.
- Continued development of hyperbranched polymers is vital for translating liquid biopsy technology into clinical oncology settings.
