Identifying Molecular Biomarkers Using Multi-Omics or Liquid Biopsy for Early Detection and Disease Monitoring of Cancer

Cancer remains a leading cause of global mortality, largely due to late-stage diagnosis when therapeutic options are limited and prognosis is poor. Early detection and active disease monitoring enable more timely intervention, improving overall disease outcomes. Traditional diagnostic methods, however, often lack the sensitivity and specificity for early-stage disease or are invasive. The advent of liquid biopsy, through analyzing circulating tumor-derived components in biofluids, offers a minimally invasive approach for cancer screening and monitoring. Concurrently, multi-omics technologies provide unprecedented depth in characterizing the molecular complexity of cancer. Integrating these powerful approaches holds immense promise for discovering highly sensitive and specific molecular biomarkers, capturing the heterogeneity and dynamic nature of tumors non-invasively, crucial for transforming early cancer detection and management strategies.



Despite the potential of liquid biopsy and multi-omics, translating discovered molecular signatures into clinically validated molecular biomarkers for routine early detection of cancer and disease modulatory strategies faces significant hurdles. Key challenges include the biological heterogeneity of cancers, low analyte abundance in early stages, analytical variability across platforms, lack of standardized protocols, and the complexity of integrating diverse omics data to yield robust, generalizable signatures. Furthermore, biomarkers capable of not only detecting cancer early but also predicting disease progression or response to preventive/modulatory interventions are critically needed. This Research Topic aims to address these gaps by fostering research that: 1) Identifies and rigorously validates novel multi-omics derived biomarker panels in liquid biopsies with high sensitivity/specificity for early-stage malignancies; 2) Develops advanced computational and bioinformatic frameworks for effective multi-omics data integration and biomarker prioritization; 3) Demonstrates the clinical utility of biomarkers for early detection across diverse populations; 4) Explores the potential of biomarkers in guiding disease modulatory approaches, including risk stratification, monitoring treatment response (e.g., interception/prevention trials), and predicting recurrence or progression.



This Topic welcomes original research, reviews, methods, and perspective articles focusing on the discovery, analytical/clinical validation, and application of molecular biomarkers derived from liquid biopsy sources (e.g., blood, urine, saliva) or other samples utilizing multi-omics approaches for the early detection of cancer and enabling disease modulatory strategies. Specific themes include:



• Integration of genomic, epigenomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and/or metabolomic data from liquid biopsies.

• Development and validation of multi-analyte biomarker panels for early-stage cancer diagnosis.

• Analytical validation of multi-omics assays.

• Biomarkers for cancer risk stratification, screening, and minimal residual disease detection.

• Biomarkers predicting response to preventive therapies or disease-modifying interventions.

• Computational methods for multi-omics data fusion and biomarker signature development.

• Clinical studies demonstrating the utility of liquid biopsy multi-omics biomarkers in early detection or modifying disease course.

• Challenges and future directions in clinical translation.