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Updated: Aug 29, 2025
Detection of Cell-Free DNA in Blood Plasma Samples of Cancer Patients
Published on: September 9, 2020
New perspectives in liquid biopsy for glioma patients
Francesco Pasqualetti1,2, Milena Rizzo3, Sara Franceschi4
1Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Purpose Of Review:
Gliomas are the most common primary tumors of the central nervous system. They are characterized by a disappointing prognosis and ineffective therapy that has shown no substantial improvements in the past 20 years. The lack of progress in treating gliomas is linked with the inadequacy of suitable tumor samples to plan translational studies and support laboratory developments. To overcome the use of tumor tissue, this commentary review aims to highlight the potential for the clinical application of liquid biopsy (intended as the study of circulating biomarkers in the blood), focusing on circulating tumor cells, circulating DNA and circulating noncoding RNA.
Recent Findings:
Thanks to the increasing sensitivity of sequencing techniques, it is now possible to analyze circulating nucleic acids and tumor cells (liquid biopsy).
Summary:
Although studies on the use of liquid biopsy are still at an early stage, the potential clinical applications of liquid biopsy in the study of primary brain cancer are many and have the potential to revolutionize the approach to neuro-oncology, and importantly, they offer the possibility of gathering information on the disease at any time during its history.
Insights
Liquid biopsy, analyzing blood biomarkers like circulating tumor cells and DNA, offers a promising alternative to traditional tumor tissue analysis for gliomas. This approach could revolutionize neuro-oncology by enabling continuous disease monitoring.
Area of Science:
- Neuro-oncology
- Molecular diagnostics
- Biomarker research
Background:
- Gliomas are primary central nervous system tumors with poor prognosis and limited therapeutic advancements over two decades.
- A significant barrier to progress is the scarcity of suitable tumor samples for translational research.
- Current treatment strategies for gliomas remain largely ineffective, necessitating novel diagnostic and monitoring approaches.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the potential clinical applications of liquid biopsy in managing gliomas.
- To explore the use of circulating biomarkers in blood as an alternative to tumor tissue.
- To focus on circulating tumor cells, circulating DNA, and circulating noncoding RNA for glioma analysis.
Main Methods:
- Review of current literature on liquid biopsy techniques.
- Analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in blood.
- Detection and analysis of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and noncoding RNA (ctncRNA).
Main Results:
- Advancements in sequencing technology enable sensitive detection of circulating nucleic acids and tumor cells.
- Liquid biopsy offers a non-invasive method for glioma assessment.
- Potential to gather real-time disease information throughout the patient's history.
Conclusions:
- Liquid biopsy holds significant potential to revolutionize neuro-oncology patient care.
- This approach may overcome limitations associated with traditional tissue biopsies.
- Early-stage research indicates liquid biopsy can provide continuous insights into glioma progression and treatment response.
