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Updated: May 8, 2025
A Standardized Liquid Biopsy Preanalytical Protocol for Downstream Circulating-Free DNA Applications
Published on: September 16, 2022
Modulating cell-free DNA biology as the next frontier in liquid biopsies
Shervin Tabrizi1, Carmen Martin-Alonso2, Kan Xiong3
1Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Radiation Oncology, Mass General Brigham, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Abstract:
Technical advances over the past two decades have enabled robust detection of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in biological samples. Yet, higher clinical sensitivity is required to realize the full potential of liquid biopsies. This opinion article argues that to overcome current limitations, the abundance of informative cfDNA molecules - such as circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) - collected in a sample needs to increase. To accomplish this, new methods to modulate the biological processes that govern cfDNA production, trafficking, and clearance in the body are needed, informed by a deeper understanding of cfDNA biology. Successful development of such methods could enable a major leap in the performance of liquid biopsies and vastly expand their utility across the spectrum of clinical care.
