Liquid biopsy biomarkers for cancer detection, treatment monitoring, and clinical outcome prediction

Liquid biopsy has emerged as a minimally invasive and dynamic approach to detect and monitor cancer. By analyzing components such as circulating tumor cells (CTCs), cell-free DNA (cfDNA)/ circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), extracellular vesicle, and circulating immune cells, researchers and clinicians are now able to gain real-time insights into tumor heterogeneity, treatment response, and disease progression.

This Research Topic aims to gather high-quality original research articles, reviews, and clinical reports that explore the development and clinical application of liquid biopsy biomarkers across various cancer types. We seek to highlight innovations in detection technologies, biomarker discovery, and data interpretation, as well as their role in guiding treatment decisions and predicting outcomes.

Submissions that bridge basic science and translational or clinical research are particularly welcome. We also encourage contributions addressing emerging areas such as mechanobiology of CTCs, multi-omics integration, and single-cell analysis in liquid biopsy.

Invited topics include:

I. Liquid Biopsy Biomarker Development and Validation
• New biomarkers: Discovery of novel molecules (DNA, RNA, proteins) in circulation that reflect tumor biology.
 Example: Identification of mutation-specific ctDNA signatures in lung or breast cancers.
• Analytical technologies: Innovations in detection methods (digital PCR, next-gen sequencing, microfluidics, single-cell analysis).
 Example: Ultra-sensitive platforms for rare CTC enumeration.

II. Cancer Detection and Early Diagnosis
• Screening applications: Use of liquid biopsy for early cancer detection in asymptomatic populations.
 Example: Multi-cancer early detection (MCED) using cfDNA methylation patterns.
• Differentiation of tumor types and subtypes: Biomarker panels capable of distinguishing between cancer types.
 Example: Extracellular vesicle (EV)-derived protein signatures distinguishing benign vs. malignant nodules.

III. Monitoring Disease Progression and Treatment Response
• Real-time treatment monitoring: Use of ctDNA to assess molecular response and possible drug resistance.
 Example: Dynamic changes in ctDNA during immunotherapy or chemotherapy.
• Minimal residual disease (MRD): Sensitive detection of molecular traces post-surgery or therapy to predict relapse risk.
 Example: MRD monitoring via personalized ctDNA assays post colorectal cancer resection.

IV. Prediction of Clinical Outcomes
• Prognostic biomarkers: Correlation of liquid biopsy results with patient survival, recurrence, or progression.
 Example: High baseline CTC counts as predictors of poor prognosis in metastatic cancers.
• Therapy stratification: Guiding personalized therapy selection using molecular profiling from liquid biopsies.
 Example: EGFR mutations in ctDNA guiding TKI therapy in lung cancer.

V. Emerging and Multidisciplinary Areas
• Mechanobiology of CTCs: Physical properties (deformability, adhesion) and their clinical significance.
 Example: How CTC mechanical phenotypes relate to metastatic potential.
• Multi-omics integration: Combining genomic, transcriptomic, epigenomic, and proteomic data from liquid biopsy.
 Example: Integrating cfDNA mutations with EV proteomics for risk stratification.
• Single-cell analysis: High-resolution study of individual CTCs or immune cells.
 Example: Single-cell RNA-seq of CTCs to uncover driver pathways of metastasis.

VI. Interpretation, Clinical Integration, and Challenges
• Bioinformatics and data interpretation: Tools and pipelines for robust analysis of complex datasets.
 Example: AI-driven analysis of cfDNA mutation patterns to improve specificity.
• Standardization and validation: Discussion of hurdles in translating biomarkers into clinical practice.
 Example: Need for inter-laboratory standards in CTC enumeration.

VII. Translational and Clinical Studies
• Real-world case reports
• Clinical trial updates:
 Example: Interim results from a phase II trial using ctDNA-guided therapy changes.
• Implementation science:
 Example: Barriers and facilitators to integrating liquid biopsy into standard cancer care.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Liquid biopsy, circulating tumor cells, cell-free DNA / circulating tumor DNA, circulating immune cells, cancer biomarkers, treatment monitoring, mechanobiology, exosomes, precision oncology.

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.