Liquid biopsy into the clinics: Current evidence and future perspectives

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Molecular Diagnostics
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Precision oncology increasingly relies on advanced diagnostic tools.
• Liquid biopsies overcome limitations of traditional tissue biopsies.
• Circulating nucleic acids (cfDNA, ctDNA) and CTCs are key components.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the diverse clinical applications of liquid biopsies in oncology.
• To highlight the advantages and disadvantages of liquid biopsies compared to tissue biopsies.
• To discuss future directions and potential of liquid biopsy technology.

Main Methods:

• Isolation of circulating extracellular nucleic acids (cfDNA, ctDNA) and CTCs from blood.
• Analysis of diverse clinical applications including diagnosis, prognostication, and treatment monitoring.
• Comparison of liquid biopsies with traditional tissue biopsies.

Main Results:

• Liquid biopsies enable cancer detection, prognostication, and monitoring of treatment response and resistance.
• They offer real-time molecular insights, assess tumor heterogeneity, and have a quicker turnaround time.
• Challenges include detecting low tumor amounts and potential false positives from CHIP mutations.

Conclusions:

• Liquid biopsies are a powerful, less invasive tool in precision oncology with broad clinical applications.
• Further validation and research, including AI integration, are crucial for widespread clinical utility.
• Molecular relapse monitoring and personalized therapy are emerging fields for liquid biopsies.