Liquid biopsy is a minimally invasive method to study tumor-derived material using biofluids (mainly blood) to collect information about the tumor in real time, without the need of multiple tissue biopsies.
- Cancer interception
- Prognostic stratification
- Treatment monitoring
- Study of the tumor evolution
- Identification of new potential treatment targets
- Early detection / cancer interception
Together, the Englander Institute for Precision Medicine and Cristofanilli Lab leverage this powerful tool for improving personalized medicine.
Liquid Biopsies Leading to Novel Research Applications
The EIPM Liquid Biopsy platform was created to promote the use of liquid biopsy by 1) evaluating and demonstrating its clinical utility, 2) developing novel technologies/applications for translational implementation. To this aim, the Liquid Biopsy platform comprises different components:
- A large, real-world database of commercially available liquid biopsy test, including clinical annotation
- A laboratory equipped with novel liquid biopsy technologies
- A protocol for longitudinal collection of liquid biopsy samples
- A biobank of liquid biopsy samples from breast cancer patients
- An experienced clinical/translational team for providing support in experimental and clinical trial design
- A liquid biopsy-focused journal club series to educate and discuss the most recent advances in the field
Our team provides expertise and guidance for the following CTC technologies
Parsortix® PC1 system
Parsortix® PC1 System
Parsortix is an instrument for capturing and harvesting intact and viable CTCs and CTC clusters from whole blood for downstream analyses. The instrument performs a label-free enrichment of CTCs, based on cell size and deformability. Parsortix is FDA-cleared for CTC enrichment in metastatic breast cancer.
Tethis See.d
Tethis See.d
See.d is a platform for standardized, automated fresh blood sample preparation for liquid biopsy analysis. The instrument separate plasma and white blood cells. White blood cells are transferred as a fixed monolayer on SBS slides for CTC identification, and plasma is available for cell-free content analysis. SBS slides allow immediate, gentle and efficient adhesion of any living cell, enabling a total capture. A complete analytical evaluation of morphological, proteomic and genetic features of CTCs is possible at the single-cell level.
TellDx CTC System
TellDx CTC System
TellDx CTC System is an instrument for the enrichment of CTCs that combines microfluidics and CD45-depletion. It allows for the recovery of viable CTCs for downstream analyses.
CellSieve TM Microfilters
CellSieve TM Microfilters
CellSieve TM Microfilters allow for the size-based enrichment, through whole blood filtration, of different cancer associated circulating cells (including CTCs, CTC clusters, and cancer-associated macrophage-like cells (CAMLs)). After filtration, cells are stained for the nucleus and markers of interest, followed by imaging under the microscope.
ScreenCell
ScreenCell
ScreenCell technology include a variety of kits for the size-based enrichment of CTCs through filtration. Different kits can be used for CTC cytology and molecular biology analyses, or for cell culture.
Additional Methodological Expertise
- Single cell genomics and transcriptomics
- Single-cell isolation through micromanipulation
- Cell-free DNA analysis (genomic alterations and methylation)
- Bioinformatic analysis and machine learning
- Fluorescence and confocal microscopy
Educational Resources
- Liquid Biopsy Information Sheet pdf
International Society of Liquid Biopsy (ISLB) | Young Committee
- Review: Latest advances in clinical studies of circulating tumor cells in early and metastatic breast cancer
Recent Publications
- Interplay between ESR1/PIK3CA codon variants, oncogenic pathway alterations and clinical phenotype in patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC): comprehensive circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) analysis
- Genetic Alterations Detected by Circulating Tumor DNA in HER2-Low Metastatic Breast Cancer
- Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 4/6 Inhibitors Beyond Progression in Metastatic Breast Cancer: A Retrospective Real-World Biomarker Analysis
- Circulating tumour DNA characterisation of invasive lobular carcinoma in patients with metastatic breast cancer
