Emerging Biomarkers for Precision Oncology: Integrating Liquid Biopsy, Multi-Omics, and Molecular Imaging

Dear Colleagues,

Precision oncology has fundamentally transformed cancer management by enabling therapies tailored to the molecular characteristics of individual tumors. Central to this paradigm is the identification of reliable biomarkers that can improve early detection, patient stratification, treatment selection, and longitudinal disease monitoring. Recent advances in liquid biopsy technologies—including circulating tumor cells (CTCs), circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), extracellular vesicles, circulating RNA, and other blood-based biomarkers—have provided minimally invasive tools for real-time assessment of tumor biology. Simultaneously, developments in molecular imaging, artificial intelligence, and high-throughput multi-omics technologies have expanded our ability to characterize tumor heterogeneity, monitor treatment response, and identify mechanisms of therapeutic resistance. The convergence of liquid biopsy, molecular imaging, and multi-omics represents a major opportunity for the next generation of precision oncology. Integrating complementary biomarker platforms may overcome the limitations of individual modalities, providing a more comprehensive understanding of tumor evolution and facilitating truly personalized treatment strategies. However, significant challenges remain regarding biomarker validation, standardization, clinical implementation, data integration, and demonstration of clinical utility through prospective studies. Addressing these challenges requires multidisciplinary collaboration between clinicians, molecular biologists, imaging specialists, bioinformaticians, and translational researchers. This Special Issue aims to present and disseminate the latest advances in emerging biomarkers for precision oncology, spanning fundamental discoveries, technological innovations and translational research. We welcome original research articles and comprehensive review focusing on the development and validation of novel biomarkers that improve cancer diagnosis, prognosis, therapeutic decision-making, and disease monitoring across all malignancies. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: 

• Liquid biopsy technologies in cancer diagnosis and monitoring
• Circulating tumor cells (CTCs): biology and characterization
• Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and minimal residual disease
• Extracellular vesicles, exosomes, and circulating RNA biomarkers
• Molecular imaging biomarkers, including PET and theranostic imaging
• PSMA and other targeted molecular imaging approaches
• Biomarkers for radioligand and targeted therapies
• Single-cell technologies and spatial molecular profiling
• Multi-omics approaches, including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, epigenomics, and radiomics
• Artificial intelligence and machine learning for biomarker discovery and clinical decision support
• Predictive biomarkers for immunotherapy and precision medicine
• Biomarkers of therapeutic resistance and tumor evolution
• Early cancer detection and cancer screening
• Biomarkers for treatment response and longitudinal disease monitoring
• Translational research of novel biomarkers Keywords
• Precision oncology
• Liquid biopsy
• Molecular biomarkers
• Circulating tumor cells
• Circulating tumor DNA
• Multi-omics
• Molecular imaging
• Exosomes
• Artificial intelligence
• Translational oncology

Dr. Filippos Koinis
Dr. Anastasia Xagara
Guest Editors

Dr. Maria-Smaragdi Vlachou
Guest Editor Assistant

Manuscript Submission Information

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• precision oncology
• liquid biopsy
• molecular biomarkers
• circulating tumor cells
• circulating tumor DNA
• multi-omics
• molecular imaging
• exosomes
• artificial intelligence
• translational oncology