Molecular diagnostic approaches to cancer detection and monitoring can benefit from a multiple-template strategy that analyzes DNA from circulating tumor cells (ctcDNA) and circulating cell-free DNA (ccfDNA) in blood, as well as from tissue biopsies, according to a new NCI-supported clinical trial published by scientists from Cynvenio Biosystems, Inc., and collaborators.

The new research was published online in the journal Oncotarget. The findings show that data gained through Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) of ccfDNA and ctcDNA liquid biopsy templates differ, but complement, each other and should be used in combination. Analysis of each template enables the capture of different moments in a tumor’s evolution, providing additional and complementary information to that provided by genomic analysis from “gold standard” tissue biopsy. Moreover, the information gained from examining CTCs enables the identification of both relevant mutations and other biomarkers (i.e., proteins and RNA expression) that can drive a particular cancer.

Tumor-derived samples from tissue biopsy, CTC populations and ccfDNA represent different moments in cancer’s progression and may not derive from the same biological sources. Research suggests that ccfDNA samples genomic DNA fragments released from all tumor sites and may capture mutations not specifically associated with the disease, as well as disease-relevant ones. In contrast, CTCs reflect the mobile subset of tumor cells in blood; they are clearly related to the disease process, and predict more aggressive as well as metastatic disease.

“The ability to analyze multiple templates, both in terms of sensitivity and biomarker definition, offers clinicians a potentially better way to diagnose and monitor cancer, as well as more informed evidence-based decision tools,” said Paul W. Dempsey, Ph.D., Cynvenio’s Chief Scientific Officer. “Cynvenio’s Concordia LiquidBiopsy NGS-based technology is unique in its ability to provide all of this information using a single blood draw.”

About Cynvenio Biosystems, Inc. 

Cynvenio is a commercial stage clinical diagnostics company that leverages its proprietary LiquidBiopsy® multi-template technology for the molecular characterization of tumor cells from a standard blood draw. Commercial labs and research institutions are powered by Cynvenio’s LiquidBiopsy platform, which includes automated instrumentation, consumables/reagents, patient sample kits, and bioinformatics for sequencing rare cell populations. Oncology practices and individual physicians can also access the LiquidBiopsy system with zero upfront investment by ordering the ClearID™ blood test from Cynvenio’s CLIA/CAP lab or its clinical partners. ClearID and LiquidBiopsy are cornerstones in the emerging field of genomic peripheral blood monitoring. They are used to rapidly assess patients’ evolving mutations in support of precision medicine strategies. ClearID is reimbursable in the United States.

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