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Molecular Cancer Jan 2023Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common tumors worldwide and the leading cause of tumor-related mortality. Endoscopy and serological tumor marker testing are... (Review)
Review
Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common tumors worldwide and the leading cause of tumor-related mortality. Endoscopy and serological tumor marker testing are currently the main methods of GC screening, and treatment relies on surgical resection or chemotherapy. However, traditional examination and treatment methods are more harmful to patients and less sensitive and accurate. A minimally invasive method to respond to GC early screening, prognosis monitoring, treatment efficacy, and drug resistance situations is urgently needed. As a result, liquid biopsy techniques have received much attention in the clinical application of GC. The non-invasive liquid biopsy technique requires fewer samples, is reproducible, and can guide individualized patient treatment by monitoring patients' molecular-level changes in real-time. In this review, we introduced the clinical applications of circulating tumor cells, circulating free DNA, circulating tumor DNA, non-coding RNAs, exosomes, and proteins, which are the primary markers in liquid biopsy technology in GC. We also discuss the current limitations and future trends of liquid biopsy technology as applied to early clinical biopsy technology.
Topics: Humans; Stomach Neoplasms; Liquid Biopsy; Biopsy; Prognosis; Neoplastic Cells, Circulating; DNA, Neoplasm; Biomarkers, Tumor
PubMed: 36627698
DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01715-z -
Molecular Cancer Mar 2022Over the past decade, invasive techniques for diagnosing and monitoring cancers are slowly being replaced by non-invasive methods such as liquid biopsy. Liquid biopsies... (Review)
Review
Over the past decade, invasive techniques for diagnosing and monitoring cancers are slowly being replaced by non-invasive methods such as liquid biopsy. Liquid biopsies have drastically revolutionized the field of clinical oncology, offering ease in tumor sampling, continuous monitoring by repeated sampling, devising personalized therapeutic regimens, and screening for therapeutic resistance. Liquid biopsies consist of isolating tumor-derived entities like circulating tumor cells, circulating tumor DNA, tumor extracellular vesicles, etc., present in the body fluids of patients with cancer, followed by an analysis of genomic and proteomic data contained within them. Methods for isolation and analysis of liquid biopsies have rapidly evolved over the past few years as described in the review, thus providing greater details about tumor characteristics such as tumor progression, tumor staging, heterogeneity, gene mutations, and clonal evolution, etc. Liquid biopsies from cancer patients have opened up newer avenues in detection and continuous monitoring, treatment based on precision medicine, and screening of markers for therapeutic resistance. Though the technology of liquid biopsies is still evolving, its non-invasive nature promises to open new eras in clinical oncology. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the current methodologies involved in liquid biopsies and their application in isolating tumor markers for detection, prognosis, and monitoring cancer treatment outcomes.
Topics: Biomarkers, Tumor; Humans; Liquid Biopsy; Neoplastic Cells, Circulating; Prognosis; Proteomics
PubMed: 35303879
DOI: 10.1186/s12943-022-01543-7 -
Cell Death & Disease Oct 2022Gastric cancer (GC) is a high-incidence cancer worldwide. Most patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage, by which time they have limited treatment options and poor... (Review)
Review
Gastric cancer (GC) is a high-incidence cancer worldwide. Most patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage, by which time they have limited treatment options and poor prognosis. Early diagnosis and precise treatment are important. In the past few years, emerging research has been conducted on the use of non-invasive liquid biopsy, with its advantages of minimal invasiveness and repeated sampling, to monitor tumor occurrence and recurrence in real time and to evaluate prognosis and treatment response. Many studies have demonstrated the potential of liquid biopsy in GC, and the detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs), circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), circulating free DNA (cfDNA), and exosomes has achieved gratifying results. In this review, we summarize evolving technologies for and information regarding liquid biopsy, the most recently discovered GC liquid biopsy biomarkers, and ongoing clinical trials and discuss the challenges and application prospects of liquid biopsy in GC.
Topics: Humans; Stomach Neoplasms; Prognosis; Liquid Biopsy; Circulating Tumor DNA; Neoplastic Cells, Circulating; Biomarkers, Tumor
PubMed: 36302755
DOI: 10.1038/s41419-022-05350-2 -
Cells Jul 2023The most recent and non-invasive approach for studying early-stage biomarkers is liquid biopsy. This implies the extraction and analysis of non-solid biological tissues... (Review)
Review
The most recent and non-invasive approach for studying early-stage biomarkers is liquid biopsy. This implies the extraction and analysis of non-solid biological tissues (serum, plasma, saliva, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid) without undergoing invasive procedures to determine disease prognosis. Liquid biopsy can be used for the screening of several components, such as extracellular vesicles, microRNAs, cell-free DNA, cell-free mitochondrial and nuclear DNA, circulating tumour cells, circulating tumour DNA, transfer RNA, and circular DNA or RNA derived from body fluids. Its application includes early disease diagnosis, the surveillance of disease activity, and treatment response monitoring, with growing evidence for validating this methodology in cancer, liver disease, and central nervous system (CNS) disorders. This review will provide an overview of mentioned liquid biopsy components, which could serve as valuable biomarkers for the evaluation of complex neurological conditions, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, stroke, traumatic brain injury, CNS tumours, and neuroinfectious diseases. Furthermore, this review highlights the future directions and potential limitations associated with liquid biopsy.
Topics: Humans; Liquid Biopsy; Cell-Free Nucleic Acids; MicroRNAs; Central Nervous System Neoplasms; Biomarkers
PubMed: 37508574
DOI: 10.3390/cells12141911 -
Nature Biomedical Engineering Mar 2022Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in the circulating blood plasma of patients with cancer contains tumour-derived DNA sequences that can serve as biomarkers for guiding therapy, for... (Review)
Review
Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in the circulating blood plasma of patients with cancer contains tumour-derived DNA sequences that can serve as biomarkers for guiding therapy, for the monitoring of drug resistance, and for the early detection of cancers. However, the analysis of cfDNA for clinical diagnostic applications remains challenging because of the low concentrations of cfDNA, and because cfDNA is fragmented into short lengths and is susceptible to chemical damage. Barcodes of unique molecular identifiers have been implemented to overcome the intrinsic errors of next-generation sequencing, which is the prevailing method for highly multiplexed cfDNA analysis. However, a number of methodological and pre-analytical factors limit the clinical sensitivity of the cfDNA-based detection of cancers from liquid biopsies. In this Review, we describe the state-of-the-art technologies for cfDNA analysis, with emphasis on multiplexing strategies, and discuss outstanding biological and technical challenges that, if addressed, would substantially improve cancer diagnostics and patient care.
Topics: Biomarkers; Cell-Free Nucleic Acids; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; Humans; Liquid Biopsy; Neoplasms
PubMed: 35102279
DOI: 10.1038/s41551-021-00837-3 -
Cancer Biology & Therapy 2019Tumor-specific, circulating cell-free DNA in liquid biopsies is a promising source of biomarkers for minimally invasive serial monitoring of treatment responses in... (Review)
Review
Tumor-specific, circulating cell-free DNA in liquid biopsies is a promising source of biomarkers for minimally invasive serial monitoring of treatment responses in cancer management. We will review the current understanding of the origin of circulating cell-free DNA and different forms of DNA release (including various types of cell death and active secretion processes) and clearance routes. The dynamics of extracellular DNA in blood during therapy and the role of circulating DNA in pathophysiological processes (tumor-associated inflammation, NETosis, and pre-metastatic niche development) provide insights into the mechanisms that contribute to tumor development and metastases formation. Better knowledge of circulating tumor-specific cell-free DNA could facilitate the development of new therapeutic and diagnostic options for cancer management.
Topics: Animals; Biomarkers, Tumor; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; Cell-Free Nucleic Acids; Circulating Tumor DNA; DNA, Neoplasm; Humans; Liquid Biopsy; Neoplasms; Organ Specificity
PubMed: 30990132
DOI: 10.1080/15384047.2019.1598759 -
Journal of Experimental & Clinical... Mar 2022Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. The diagnosis, prognosis and therapeutic monitoring of CRC depends largely on tissue biopsy.... (Review)
Review
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. The diagnosis, prognosis and therapeutic monitoring of CRC depends largely on tissue biopsy. However, due to tumor heterogeneity and limitations such as invasiveness, high cost and limited applicability in longitudinal monitoring, liquid biopsy has gathered immense attention in CRC. Liquid biopsy has several advantages over tissue biopsy including ease of sampling, effective monitoring, and longitudinal assessment of treatment dynamics. Furthermore, the importance of liquid biopsy is signified by approval of several liquid biopsy assays by regulatory bodies indicating the powerful approach of liquid biopsy for comprehensive CRC screening, diagnostic and prognostics. Several liquid biopsy biomarkers such as novel components of the microbiome, non-coding RNAs, extracellular vesicles and circulating tumor DNA are extensively being researched for their role in CRC management. Majority of these components have shown promising results on their clinical application in CRC including early detection, observe tumor heterogeneity for treatment and response, prediction of metastases and relapse and detection of minimal residual disease. Therefore, in this review, we aim to provide updated information on various novel liquid biopsy markers such as a) oral microbiota related bacterial network b) gut microbiome-associated serum metabolites c) PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), microRNA(miRNAs), Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), circular RNAs (circRNAs) and d) circulating tumor DNAs (ctDNA) and circulating tumor cells (CTC) for their role in disease diagnosis, prognosis, treatment monitoring and their applicability for personalized management of CRC.
Topics: Biomarkers, Tumor; Colorectal Neoplasms; Disease Progression; Early Detection of Cancer; Humans; Liquid Biopsy; Neoplastic Cells, Circulating; Prognosis
PubMed: 35292091
DOI: 10.1186/s13046-022-02318-0 -
Molecular Cancer May 2022Brain metastasis (BrM) is a major problem associated with cancer-related mortality, and currently, no specific biomarkers are available in clinical settings for early... (Review)
Review
Brain metastasis (BrM) is a major problem associated with cancer-related mortality, and currently, no specific biomarkers are available in clinical settings for early detection. Liquid biopsy is widely accepted as a non-invasive method for diagnosing cancer and other diseases. We have reviewed the evidence that shows how the molecular alterations are involved in BrM, majorly from breast cancer (BC), lung cancer (LC), and melanoma, with an inception in how they can be employed for biomarker development. We discussed genetic and epigenetic changes that influence cancer cells to breach the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and help to establish metastatic lesions in the uniquely distinct brain microenvironment. Keeping abreast with the recent breakthroughs in the context of various biomolecules detections and identifications, the circulating tumor cells (CTC), cell-free nucleotides, non-coding RNAs, secretory proteins, and metabolites can be pursued in human body fluids such as blood, serum, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and urine to obtain potential candidates for biomarker development. The liquid biopsy-based biomarkers can overlay with current imaging techniques to amplify the signal viable for improving the early detection and treatments of occult BrM.
Topics: Biomarkers, Tumor; Brain Neoplasms; Breast Neoplasms; Female; Humans; Liquid Biopsy; Neoplastic Cells, Circulating; Tumor Microenvironment
PubMed: 35538484
DOI: 10.1186/s12943-022-01577-x -
Molecular Cancer Jul 2019Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers and a leading cause of death worldwide. Due to latent liver disease, late diagnosis, and nonresponse to... (Review)
Review
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers and a leading cause of death worldwide. Due to latent liver disease, late diagnosis, and nonresponse to systemic treatments, surgical resection and/or biopsy specimens are still generally considered as the gold standard by clinicians for clinical decision-making until now. Since the conventional tissue biopsy is invasive and contains small tissue samples, it is unable to represent tumor heterogeneity or monitor dynamic tumor progression. Therefore, it is imperative to find a new less invasive or noninvasive diagnostic strategy to detect HCC at an early stage and to monitor HCC recurrence. Over the past years, a new diagnostic concept known as "liquid biopsy" has emerged with substantial attention. Liquid biopsy is noninvasive and allows repeated analyses to monitor tumor recurrence, metastasis or treatment responses in real time. With the advanced development of new molecular techniques, HCC circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) detection have achieved interesting and encouraging results. In this review, we focus on the clinical applications of CTCs and ctDNA as key components of liquid biopsy in HCC patients.
Topics: Biomarkers, Tumor; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Circulating Tumor DNA; Humans; Liquid Biopsy; Liver Neoplasms; Neoplastic Cells, Circulating; Prognosis; Sensitivity and Specificity
PubMed: 31269959
DOI: 10.1186/s12943-019-1043-x -
Molecular Cancer Oct 2023Pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the most common malignancies. Surgical resection is a potential curative approach for PC, but most patients are unsuitable for... (Review)
Review
Pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the most common malignancies. Surgical resection is a potential curative approach for PC, but most patients are unsuitable for operations when at the time of diagnosis. Even with surgery, some patients may still experience tumour metastasis during the operation or shortly after surgery, as precise prognosis evaluation is not always possible. If patients miss the opportunity for surgery and resort to chemotherapy, they may face the challenging issue of chemotherapy resistance. In recent years, liquid biopsy has shown promising prospects in disease diagnosis, treatment monitoring, and prognosis assessment. As a noninvasive detection method, liquid biopsy offers advantages over traditional diagnostic procedures, such as tissue biopsy, in terms of both cost-effectiveness and convenience. The information provided by liquid biopsy helps clinical practitioners understand the molecular mechanisms underlying tumour occurrence and development, enabling the formulation of more precise and personalized treatment decisions for each patient. This review introduces molecular biomarkers and detection methods in liquid biopsy for PC, including circulating tumour cells (CTCs), circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA), noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), and extracellular vesicles (EVs) or exosomes. Additionally, we summarize the applications of liquid biopsy in the early diagnosis, treatment response, resistance assessment, and prognostic evaluation of PC.
Topics: Humans; Biomarkers, Tumor; Liquid Biopsy; Pancreatic Neoplasms; DNA, Neoplasm; Neoplastic Cells, Circulating
PubMed: 37803304
DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01870-3