Investigating Cell-Free DNA in Liquid Biopsy

Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is gaining attention as a biomarker in liquid biopsy in multiple clinical applications, including oncology, organ and transplant medicine and non-invasive prenatal testing. cfDNA includes various forms of unencapsulated DNA freely circulating in the bloodstream, such as circulating tumor DNA and cell-free fetal DNA. Given the small amount of cfDNA found in circulation, advanced and highly sensitive technologies, like next-generation sequencing and magnetic enrichment with functionalized magnetic beads, are essential to detect these biomarkers. In this webinar, our speaker will discuss the challenges and opportunities in measuring cfDNA from liquid samples and the role of magnetic beads in this process. • Explore the role of liquid biopsy in monitoring tumor changes or metastatic disease progression • Understand the challenges presented by cfDNA • Learn about cfDNA technology requirements and available systems • Review cfDNA extraction from liquid biopsies with magnetic bead-based purification methods Investigating Cell-Free DNA in Liquid Biopsy Prof. Alain Thierry Director of Research Inserm Prof. AR Thierry began his career focusing on gene therapy solutions and DNA auto-organization complex formation. Since the early 2000s, he has made significant contributions to the research and applications of circulating DNA (cirDNA), particularly in oncology. He coordinated the first prospective blinded multicenter studies to achieve clinical validation of plasma analysis for detecting mutations in oncology and demonstrated the clinical benefits of cirDNA analysis in digestive oncology. His research also explores other potentials of cirDNA, in cancer care. He introduced the first guidelines for cirDNA pre-analytical conditions to the scientific community. His team has been dedicated to fundamental research on cirDNA structure and functions, pioneering studies on cirDNA fragmentation and suggesting potential solutions for cancer screening using fragmentomics. They discovered circulating functional cell-free mitochondria in blood and recently linked cirDNA with NETs production in cancer, COVID-19, and long COVID as well as with circulating microclots. Prof. AR Thierry is now developing tools for cancer screening, and diagnosing inflammatory diseases and viral infections.