Liquid biopsy for early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma

Bibliographic Details
Title: Liquid biopsy for early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Ioana Manea, Razvan Iacob, Speranta Iacob, Razvan Cerban, Simona Dima, Gabriel Oniscu, Irinel Popescu, Liliana Gheorghe
Source: Frontiers in Medicine, Vol 10 (2023)
Publisher Information: Frontiers Media S.A., 2023.
Publication Year: 2023
Collection: LCC:Medicine (General)
Subject Terms: hepatocellular carcinoma, early diagnosis, liquid biopsy, cell free DNA, extracellular vesicles, Medicine (General), R5-920
More Details: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly prevalent and lethal cancer globally. Over 90% of HCC cases arise in the context of liver cirrhosis, and the severity of the underlying liver disease or advanced tumor stage at diagnosis significantly limits treatment options. Early diagnosis is crucial, and all guidelines stress the importance of screening protocols for HCC early detection as a public health objective. As serum biomarkers are not optimal for early diagnosis, liquid biopsy has emerged as a promising tool for diagnosis, prognostication, and patients’ stratification for personalized therapy in various solid tumors, including HCC. While circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are better suited for personalized therapy and prognosis, cell-free DNA (cfDNA) and extracellular vesicle-based technologies show potential for early diagnosis, HCC screening, and surveillance protocols. Evaluating the added value of liquid biopsy genetic and epigenetic biomarkers for HCC screening is a key goal in translational research. Somatic mutations commonly found in HCC can be investigated in cfDNA and plasma exosomes as genetic biomarkers. Unique methylation patterns in cfDNA or cfDNA fragmentome features have been suggested as innovative tools for early HCC detection. Likewise, extracellular vesicle cargo biomarkers such as miRNAs and long non-coding RNAs may serve as potential biomarkers for early HCC detection. This review will explore recent findings on the utility of liquid biopsy for early HCC diagnosis. Combining liquid biopsy methods with traditional serological biomarkers could improve the overall diagnostic accuracy for early HCC detection.
Document Type: article
File Description: electronic resource
Language: English
ISSN: 2296-858X
Relation: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2023.1218705/full; https://doaj.org/toc/2296-858X
DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1218705
Access URL: https://doaj.org/article/3cf8cd8c473840ec9f08bc3b979f17db
Accession Number: edsdoj.3cf8cd8c473840ec9f08bc3b979f17db
Database: Directory of Open Access Journals
More Details
ISSN:2296858X
DOI:10.3389/fmed.2023.1218705
Published in:Frontiers in Medicine
Language:English