Recent advances of liquid biopsy: Interdisciplinary strategies toward clinical decision‐making

Abstract

Liquid biopsy has emerged as a promising avenue for non‐invasive and rapid retrieval of pathological information from patient body fluids. Over the years, liquid biopsy has garnered significant attention for clinically treating cancer by selecting appropriate biomarkers such as circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and extracellular vesicles (EVs). Further integration of advanced technologies has facilitated the efficient capture of biomarkers for liquid biopsy, revolutionizing clinical decision‐making in the multiple processes and stages of cancer patients. Underscoring the intersection of different disciplines, this review provides a holistic summary of recent breakthroughs specifically designed for the capture and application of distinctive biomarkers to blend real‐world clinical decision‐making with material science. Firstly, we focus on the main principles of liquid biopsy and recent technologies that facilitate the capture and release of biomarkers (e.g., CTCs and EVs), leveraging their physicochemical properties. Then, the clinical applications of biomarkers are summarized, highlighting their potential for providing comprehensive clinical information. Later, the incorporation of machine learning is also emphasized for enhancing clinical applications and enabling deeper insights in the design of next‐generation platforms for specific biomarker isolation. Finally, future opportunities for clinical decision‐making are explored by combining advanced nanotechnologies and artificial intelligence, thereby offering inconceivable possibilities for improving patient care.

Single-Cell Liquid Biopsy of Lung Cancer: Ultra-Simplified Efficient Enrichment of Circulating Tumor Cells and Hand-Held Fluorometer Portable Testing

“…While the gold standard of diagnosis is pathological biopsy, liquid biopsies focus on circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the blood to provide noninvasive early detection and guidance for treatment and prognosis. 2 Detecting CTCs is challenging due to their rarity in the blood; they need to be enriched and then identified by genes or cells. Only the CellSearch system, which uses affinity, has the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) approval for CTC detection.…”

“…Early diagnosis of cancer can hinder its spread and enhance patient survival rates. While the gold standard of diagnosis is pathological biopsy, liquid biopsies focus on circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the blood to provide noninvasive early detection and guidance for treatment and prognosis . Detecting CTCs is challenging due to their rarity in the blood; they need to be enriched and then identified by genes or cells.…”

Thermophoretic glycan profiling of extracellular vesicles for triple-negative breast cancer management

“…EVs are a heterogeneous group of lipid bilayer-enclosed nanovesicles secreted by most cell types, and have been widely explored as emerging circulating biomarkers for liquid biopsy 7 – 18 . In addition to carrying a myriad of molecular cargos inherent from parental cells, tumor-derived EVs are also heavily enriched in glycoconjugates which play crucial roles in different steps of tumor progression 19 – 25 .…”

Biological clock regulation by the PER gene family: a new perspective on tumor development

“…Contrasting with the conventional American Joint Committee on Cancer staging, which relies on tumor size, lymph node status, and metastasis, new classifications based on tumor genetic expression patterns have emerged, correlating more closely with clinical outcomes and patient survival ( Yin et al, 2020 ; Park et al, 2022 ; de Jong et al, 2023 ). This shift signifies a move towards personalized precision medicine in oncology, with the potential to uncover new therapeutic targets and prognostic biomarkers through a deeper understanding of molecular mechanisms in cancer ( Hong et al, 2020 ; Bao et al, 2023 ).…”