Combined Biotech Approaches Reveal Spread of Cancer Cells
October 16, 2013| |
Scientists from the University of Göttingen in Germany have used massive parallel DNA sequencing and successive digital PCR to identify residual cancer cells, which cause metastases, in the cell-free portion of the blood of cancer models and patients. The researchers are searching for very low levels of cancer after treatments that you cannot find with current biomarker or gold standard diagnostics such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). They used cell-free DNA (cfDNA) analysis to detect and measure the occurrence of specific chromosomal breakpoints in blood plasma.
The first step of the process involves massively parallel sequencing to identify unusual chromosome rearrangements which are similar to those that occur in cancer cells. These can then be reliably detected and quantified subsequently using highly sensitive digital PCR. The combined approach is a cheaper option in detection of tumor progression or recurrence.
Read more about the study at http://www.eurobiotechnews.eu/news/news/2013-04/blood-test-detects-metastases.html.
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