Tumor Genomics and Liquid Biopsy in Cancer Biology

A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2025 | Viewed by 733

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Biosciences Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori “Dino Amadori” (IRST) , Via P. Maroncelli 40, 47014 Meldola, Italy
Interests: molecular biology; oncology; translational research; next-generation sequencing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue aims to explore the intersections of tumor genomics and liquid biopsy in advancing our understanding of cancer biology. Tumor genomics has revolutionized cancer research by uncovering key molecular mechanisms, identifying driver mutations, and providing insights into tumor evolution and heterogeneity. Liquid biopsy, as a minimally invasive tool, complements genomic studies by enabling the real-time monitoring of cancer progression and therapeutic response through the analysis of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), circulating tumor cells (CTCs), and extracellular vesicles. By integrating these approaches, researchers can address critical challenges in cancer diagnosis, treatment, and precision medicine. This Special Issue invites contributions that delve into the molecular underpinnings of tumor biology and technological innovations in liquid biopsy, fostering a holistic understanding of cancer.

Dr. Milena Urbini
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomolecules is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA)
  • circulating tumor cells (CTCs)
  • exosomes and extracellular vesicles
  • circulating free RNAs and microRNAs
  • tumor heterogeneity
  • mechanisms of metastasis
  • tumor clonal evolution
  • drug resistance
  • tumor microenvironment
  • multi-omics integration

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

12 pages, 925 KiB  
Article
Pre-Amplification of Cell-Free DNA: Balancing Amplification Errors with Enhanced Sensitivity
by Wei Yen Chan, Ashleigh Stewart, Russell J. Diefenbach, Elin S. Gray, Jenny H. Lee, Richard A. Scolyer, Georgina V. Long and Helen Rizos
Biomolecules 2025, 15(6), 883; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom15060883 - 17 Jun 2025
Viewed by 490
Abstract
Circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) is a promising biomarker for personalised oncology. However, its clinical utility is limited by detection sensitivity, particularly in early-stage disease. T-Oligo Primed Polymerase Chain Reaction (TOP-PCR) is a commercial amplification approach utilising an efficient “half-adapter” ligation design and a [...] Read more.
Circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) is a promising biomarker for personalised oncology. However, its clinical utility is limited by detection sensitivity, particularly in early-stage disease. T-Oligo Primed Polymerase Chain Reaction (TOP-PCR) is a commercial amplification approach utilising an efficient “half-adapter” ligation design and a single-primer-based PCR strategy. This study evaluated the clinical value and application of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) pre-amplification. cfDNA amplification with TOP-PCR preserved DNA size profiles and resulted in a 22 bp size increase due to the half-adaptor ligation. Gene target amplification rates varied, showing lower efficiency for the GC-rich TERT promoter amplicon and higher efficiency for the BRAF and TP53 amplicons. Optimised pre-amplification (20 ng cfDNA input and 5–7 cycles of PCR) enhanced ctDNA detection sensitivity and expanded sample availability for the detection of multiple tumour-informed mutations. Importantly, PCR errors emerged in pre-amplified cfDNA samples, underscoring the necessity for negative controls and the establishment of stringent mutation positivity thresholds. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tumor Genomics and Liquid Biopsy in Cancer Biology)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop