La biopsia líquida en el diagnóstico y monitoreo de pacientes oncológicos: Oportunidades y retos en Latinoamérica / Liquid biopsy in the diagnosis and monitoring of cancer patients: opportunities and challenges in Latin America

Resumen En los últimos años el estudio de los ácidos nucleicos circulantes ha tenido grandes avances en el campo de la oncología, lo que ha permitido avanzar de forma importante en las aplicaciones clínicas de la biopsia líquida en diferentes áreas como el pronóstico, la estadificación, la predicción de recurrencia, la selección y monitorización de tratamientos, entre otros. Lo anterior se debe en gran parte al desarrollo de nuevas y mejores tecnologías, algunas de las cuales incluso han sido autorizadas para el diagnóstico y seguimiento clínico de ciertos tipos de cáncer. No obstante, la utilización de la biopsia líquida como herramienta de apoyo clínico sigue siendo objeto de estudio. Debido a la importancia que ha cobrado este avance tecnológico a nivel mundial, se realizó una revisión de literatura con el fin de establecer el estado actual del uso de biopsia líquida en oncología, así como sus aplicaciones clínicas actuales, con un énfasis en Latinoamérica.

Abstract In recent years, the study of circulating nucleic acids has made great progress in the field of oncology, allowing for significant advances in clinical applications of liquid biopsy in diverse areas such as prognosis, staging, recurrence prediction, selection and monitoring of treatments, among others. This advance is largely due to the development of new and better technologies, some of which have even been validated for the diagnosis and clinical follow-up of certain types of cancer. However, the use of liquid biopsy as an additional tool in clinical oncology remains under study. Given the worldwide importance of this technological advance, a literature review was conducted to establish the current status of the use of liquid biopsy in oncology, as well as its current clinical applications, with a particular focus on Latin America.

Evaluation of circulating cell free DNA in plasma as a biomarker of different thyroid diseases / Avaliação do DNA circulante livre de células no plasma como um biomarcador de diferentes doenças da tireoide

Abstract Introduction: Many studies have been done on proteomics, genomics, epigenetic, immunogenetics in many body fluids. Among these, circulating cell-free DNA (ccfDNA) entered the literature in 1948, but it has not been studied for many years due to technological deficiencies. Following recent advances, geno-metastasis has been mentioned and new research is needed in this area. ccfDNA is known to be an important biomolecule in this regard. Objective: The presence of cell-free DNA in the circulatory system may offer a tremendous opportunity to provide novel biomarkers for thyroid diseases. This experimental study was conducted to determine the amount of ccfDNA in different thyroid diseases, then to evaluate whether the ccfDNA concentration varied between the disease groups and control group. Methods: In total, we included 121 individuals in the present study. We collected blood samples and then determined the ccfDNA concentration in plasma of collected blood samples from three groups: thyroiditis (n = 33), benign (n = 37), and malignant (n = 30) and from a control group (n = 21). Results: The median values of the ccfDNA groups were found as 1610, 1665, 1685 and 576 ng/mL for the thyroiditis, benign, malign, and control groups, respectively. Findings showed that the ccfDNA of the three groups was significantly higher than the control (p < 0.0001). Each group was compared in terms of ccfDNA and the p-values of benign-thyroiditis, benign-malign, and thyroiditis-malign were 0.09, 0.65, and 0.29, respectively. Conclusions: The clear differences between thyroid diseases and controls suggest that ccfDNA is worthy of attention as a biomarker for further evaluation of different thyroid diseases. Likewise, it might indicate a clear tendency that ccfDNA can also be used to distinguish different thyroid diseases.

Resumo Introdução: Muitos estudos foram realizados em proteômica, genômica, epigenética e imunogenética em vários fluidos corporais. Entre esses, o DNA circulante livre de células (cfDNA) despontou na literatura em 1948, mas não foi estudado por muitos anos devido a deficiências tecnológicas. Após recentes avanços, a genometástase é mencionada e novas pesquisas tornam-se necessárias nessa área. Nesse sentido, o cfDNA é conhecido por ser uma importante biomolécula. Objetivo: A presença de DNA livre de células no sistema circulatório pode oferecer uma excelente oportunidade para fornecer novos biomarcadores para doenças da tireoide. Este estudo experimental foi conduzido para determinar a quantidade de cfDNA em diferentes doenças da tireoide e então avaliar se a concentração de cfDNA variou entre os grupos com doença e o grupo controle. Método: No total, 121 indivíduos foram incluídos no estudo. Coletamos amostras de sangue e, em então, determinamos a concentração de cfDNA no plasma de amostras de sangue de três grupos: tireoidite (n = 33), benigno (n = 37) e maligno (n = 30) e de um grupo controle (n = 21). Resultados: As medianas dos valores dos grupos de cfDNA foram de 1.610, 1.665, 1.685 e 576 ng/mL para os grupos tireoidite, benigno, maligno e controle, respectivamente. Os achados mostraram que o cfDNA dos três grupos com doença era significativamente maior do que o do grupo controle (p < 0,0001). Cada grupo foi comparado em termos de cfDNA e os p-valores de benigno-tireoidite, benigno-maligno e tireoidite-maligno foram de 0,09, 0,65 e 0,29, respectivamente. Conclusões: Como resultado, as óbvias diferenças entre as doenças da tireoide e os controles sugerem que o cfDNA é digno de atenção como um biomarcador para avaliação adicional das diferentes doenças da tireoide. Da mesma forma, isso pode indicar uma clara tendência de que o cfDNA também pode ser utilizado para distinção das diferentes doenças da tireoide.

Aspectos genómicos, transcriptómicos y del diagnóstico en el síndrome de Down / Genomic, transcriptomic, and diagnostic features of Down syndrome

El síndrome de Down es causado por la presencia de una tercera copia del cromosoma 21 y fue descrito por primera vez en 1838 por Jean-Etienne-Dominique, y más tarde por John Langdon Haydon Down en 1866, mientras trabajaba como superintendente médico en el Asilo Real de Earlswood. Desde ese momento, la comunidad científica puso grandes esfuerzos en tratar de elucidar diversos aspectos que influyen en la naturaleza de esta condición, y que determinan su incidencia y factores de riesgo. De igual manera, se ha puesto interés en los genes involucrados en esta enfermedad, la relación genotipo-fenotipo, la expresión del fenotipo, la variabilidad del material genético y las consecuencias transcripcionales que se producen al tener una tercera copia, ya sea parcial o total, del cromosoma 21. Además, se han invertido esfuerzos en identificar biomarcadores y en diseñar metodologías de diagnóstico prenatal no invasivo que sean altamente eficientes para un mejor diagnóstico del síndrome de Down, y así reducir su impacto negativo en las madres gestantes, al proveerlas de información neutral y precisa acerca de vivir con un hijo con síndrome de Down, y darles autonomía en la decisión de la continuación de su embarazo

Down syndrome is caused by the presence of a third copy of chromosome 21 and was first described by Jean-Etienne-Dominique in 1838, and later by John Langdon Haydon Down in 1866, while working as a medical superintendent in the Royal Earlswood Asylum. Since, the scientific community has placed great efforts in trying to elucidate different influencing features in the nature of this condition that determine their incidence and risk factors. In addition, especial attention has been given to the genes involved in this disease, the genotype-phenotype relationship, the expression of the phenotype, the variability of the genetic material and the transcriptional consequences that are produced by having a third copy, either partial or total, of chromosome 21. Additionally, efforts have been invested in identifying biomarkers and designing noninvasive prenatal methodologies that are highly efficient for a better diagnosis of Down syndrome, in order to reduce its negative impact in pregnant mothers, by providing them with neutral and accurate information about life with a child with Down syndrome, as well as providing the autonomy in the decision to continue their pregnancy

Circulating nucleic acids in the plasma and serum as potential biomarkers in neurological disorders

Neurological diseases are responsible for approximately 6.8 million deaths every year. They affect up to 1 billion people worldwide and cause significant disability and reduced quality of life. In most neurological disorders, the diagnosis can be challenging; it frequently requires long-term investigation. Thus, the discovery of better diagnostic methods to help in the accurate and fast diagnosis of neurological disorders is crucial. Circulating nucleic acids (CNAs) are defined as any type of DNA or RNA that is present in body biofluids. They can be found within extracellular vesicles or as cell-free DNA and RNA. Currently, CNAs are being explored as potential biomarkers for diseases because they can be obtained using non-invasive methods and may reflect unique characteristics of the biological processes involved in several diseases. CNAs can be especially useful as biomarkers for conditions that involve organs or structures that are difficult to assess, such as the central nervous system. This review presents a critical assessment of the most current literature about the use of plasma and serum CNAs as biomarkers for several aspects of neurological disorders: defining a diagnosis, establishing a prognosis, and monitoring the disease progression and response to therapy. We explored the biological origin, types, and general mechanisms involved in the generation of CNAs in physiological and pathological processes, with specific attention to neurological disorders. In addition, we present some of the future applications of CNAs as non-invasive biomarkers for these diseases.

Investigação da dinâmica mutacional em tumores triplo-negativos da mama através do sequenciamento de DNA tumoral circulante / Investigation of mutational dynamics in triple-negative breast cancer through circulating tumor DNA sequencing

O câncer de mama de imunofenótipo triplo-negativo (TN) é considerado um subtipo agressivo correspondendo a 10-20% dos casos. É caracterizado pela ausência dos receptores hormonais de estrogênio (ER) e de progesterona (PR) além de não apresentar super-expressão/amplificação do receptor 2 do fator de crescimento epidérmico humano (HER2). Sendo assim, as terapias hormonais e moleculares efetivas em outros subtipos de câncer de mama, não têm efeito nesses tumores. A quimioterapia sistêmica neoadjuvante é o tratamento mais utilizado nesse subtipo de tumor de mama, sendo que para as pacientes que obtêm resposta patológica completa (RPC) observa-se um excelente prognóstico, entretanto no subgrupo com neoplasia residual observa-se prognóstico ruim. Isso ilustra a heterogeneidade clínica do tumor TN, com um subgrupo de tumores significativamente sensíveis à quimioterapia e outro resistente. Perda de função no gene BRCA1 tem sido frequentemente reportada em tumores TN de mama, seja por mecanismos genéticos ou epigenéticos. Há evidências de que tumores com deficiência de BRCA1 apresentam boas respostas a determinadas modalidades terapêuticas, como por exemplo, sais de platina e inibidores de PARP. Assim, a investigação mais detalhada no mecanismo de resposta ao tratamento, em mulheres acometidas com tumores TN, no contexto de deficiência de BRCA1, é de grande importância. A detecção de DNA tumoral circulante (ctDNA) tem surgido como uma estratégia pouco invasiva capaz de refletir as mutações presentes nas neoplasias, permitindo um acompanhamento do comportamento tumoral ao longo do tempo com promissor valor preditivo e prognóstico. Dessa forma, esse projeto objetivou investigar a dinâmica mutacional durante o tratamento quimioterápico, antes e após a cirurgia, através da análise de DNA tumoral circulante (ctDNA) como biópsia líquida em plasma de pacientes com tumores TN classificados em hereditários e esporádicos. Investigamos de forma ampla as características genéticas dos tumores TN e das pacientes em associação com as características clínicas e de resposta a tratamento. Quarenta e três pacientes com tumores TN foram recrutadas para o estudo e submetidas a teste genético para avaliar mutações germinativas patogênicas em genes de predisposição a câncer de mama. Com isso, classificamos 21% dos tumores em hereditários e 79% em esporádicos, onde 7 (16,3%) foram de pacientes portadoras de mutações germinativas em BRCA1, uma (2,3%) em BRCA2, uma (2,3%) em TP53. Além disso, 25 foram portadoras de variantes de significado incerto (58,1%) e 9 (20,9%) casos foram negativos. Desse total, 34 pacientes já foram avaliadas quanto à resposta ao tratamento neoadjuvante, sendo que 18 (53%) pacientes apresentaram doença residual e 16 (47%) evoluíram com RPC. A investigação do tecido tumoral foi possível para 23 casos. Desses, 3 tumores (13%) foram classificados com alta carga mutacional. Ainda, para 18 tumores foi possível identificar variantes somáticas nos painéis utilizados com uma média de 2 variantes/tumor. O gene mais frequentemente mutado foi o TP53 (65%) seguido de SYNE1 (16,7%) e outros menos frequentes. Não houve associação entre genes preferencialmente mutados e a classificação dos tumores em hereditários ou esporádicos. Para 17 das 18 pacientes com mutações somáticas detectadas no tumor foi realizada a investigação no DNA circulante no plasma antes do início do tratamento (baseline). Um total de 10 pacientes (58,8%) foi positivo para ctDNA. Observou-se uma tendência de maiores níveis de ctDNA nos casos que evoluíram com doença residual em relação aos que obtiveram resposta patológica completa, sugerindo uma associação entre a quantidade de DNA tumoral e ctDNA. Durante o monitoramento, foi observada que para 7 (41%) casos houve persistência de ctDNA, a qual antecipou achados clínicos como, progressão local e metástase. Nesse trabalho, reforça-se a associação entre inativação de BRCA1 e os tumores TN e é demonstrado o potencial do monitoramento de ctDNA em amostras de plasma para antecipar progressão da doença mostrando uma ferramenta de grande potencial para monitoramento de pacientes submetidos à quimioterapia

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is considered an aggressive breast cancer subtype corresponding to 10-20% of cases. It is characterized by the absence of estrogen (ER) and progesterone (PR) hormonal receptors and lack of overexpression/amplification of the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). Thus, hormonal and molecular therapies effective in other breast cancer subtypes have no effect on these tumors. Neoadjuvant systemic chemotherapy is the most widely used treatment for TNBC, and patients with pathological complete response (pCR) have an excellent prognosis, whereas in the subgroup with residual disease, a poor prognosis is observed. This illustrates the clinical heterogeneity of TNBC, with one subset of tumors being sensitive to chemotherapy and one resistant. Loss of function in the BRCA1 gene has often been reported in TNBC, either by genetic or epigenetic mechanisms. There is evidence that BRCA1-deficient tumors have good responses to certain therapeutic modalities, such as platinum salts and PARP inhibitors. Thus, a more detailed investigation of the mechanism of response to treatment in women with TNBC in the context of BRCA1 deficiency is of great importance. The detection of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) has emerged as a noninvasive strategy capable of reflecting the mutations present in the neoplasms, allowing the monitoring of tumor behavior over time with promising predictive and prognostic value. Thus, this project aimed to investigate the mutational dynamics during chemotherapy treatment, before and after surgery, through the analysis of ctDNA as a liquid biopsy in plasma of patients with hereditary and sporadic TNBC. We have broadly investigated the genetic characteristics of TNBC and patients in association with clinical and treatment response characteristics. Forty-three patients with TNBC were recruited to the study and underwent genetic testing to evaluate pathogenic germline mutations in breast cancer predisposing genes. We classified 21% of tumors as hereditary and 79% as sporadic, where 7 (16.3%) were from patients with germline mutations in BRCA1, one (2.3%) in BRCA2 and one (2.3%) in TP53. In addition, 25 (58.1%) had variants of uncertain significance and 9 (20.9%) cases were negative. Of this total, 34 patients have already been evaluated for response to neoadjuvant treatment, and 18 (53%) patients had residual disease and 16 (47%) evolved with pCR. Investigation of tumor tissue was possible for 23 cases. Of these, 3 tumors (13%) were classified with high mutational load. Furthermore, for 18 tumors it was possible to identify somatic variants in the panels used with an average of 2 variants per tumor. The most frequently mutated gene was TP53 (65%) followed by SYNE1 (16.7%) and other less frequent genes. There was no association between preferentially mutated genes and tumor classification in hereditary or sporadic. For 17 of the 18 patients with somatic mutations detected in the tumor, circulating plasma DNA was investigated before treatment (baseline). A total of 10 patients (58.8%) were positive for ctDNA. There was a trend for higher levels of ctDNA in cases that evolved with residual disease than in those with pCR, suggesting an association between the amount of tumor DNA and ctDNA. During the monitoring, it was observed that 7 (41%) cases were persistent for ctDNA, which anticipated clinical findings such as local progression and metastasis. In this study, the association between BRCA1 inactivation and TNBC is reinforced and it is demonstrated the potential of monitoring ctDNA in plasma samples for the anticipation in the identification of disease progression, providing a tool of great potential for monitoring residual disease in patients undergoing chemotherapy

Liquid biopsy: emergence of a new era in personalized cancer care

The most successful treatment for cancer involves identifying druggable, biological markers for targeted therapy. In the clinical setting, surgical removal of tumors is the only procedure for identifying such targetable molecules. Shed from tumor cells, these markers are also present in circulating blood, albeit in very negligible amounts. Liquid biopsy is a procedure performed on a blood sample to look for such circulating cancer markers cells or pieces of nucleic acid from the tumor. The procedure shows promise in revolutionizing personalized cancer treatments. Here we briefly review the technique, characterization, and its utilization in clinics

Circulating cell-free DNA as a biomarker in the diagnosis and prognosis of colorectal cancer

Abstract Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a disease without evident clinical symptoms in early stages, leading to late diagnosis and disease management. Current diagnostic and prognostic tools require invasive procedures and circulating molecular biomarkers fail to have optimal sensitivity and specificity. Circulating biomarkers with high clinical performance may be valuable for early diagnosis and prognosis of CRC. The purpose of this review was to investigate the application of circulating cell-free DNA (ccfDNA) in CRC diagnosis and prognosis and the analytical methods used in blood samples in articles published between 2005 and 2016. Based on specific inclusion and exclusion criteria, 26 articles were selected. Most studies used ccfDNA quantification as the molecular biomarker. The analytical method was mainly based on the quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Biomarkers based on aberrantly methylated genes (n=6) and ccfDNA integrity/fragmentation (n=2) were also used for the CRC diagnosis. The CRC prognosis used the detection of oncogene mutations, such as KRAS and BRAF, in ccfDNA. Significant differences were found in variables among the studies revealing potential bias. ccfDNA quantification as a diagnostic biomarker for CRC has promising results but it lacks clinical specificity since other diseases present a similar increase in ccfDNA content. However, increasing research in the epigenomic field can lead the way to a clinically specific biomarker for the CRC early diagnosis. As for the analytical method, qPCR and derivatives seem to be a perfectly valid technique. The use of ccfDNA quantification in CRC prognosis seems promising. The attempt to use the ccfDNA quantification in clinical practice may reside in the prognosis using a qPCR technique.

Estado actual de las aplicaciones del ADN libre de célula circulante / Current status of circulating cell-free DNA applications

el diagnóstico y tamizaje prenatal, así como el diagnóstico y seguimiento de enfermedades en diversos campos de la medicina, se hace, en la actualidad, de manera más sencilla gracias al ADN libre en plasma. Este ADN representa una pequeña parte de la información genética de un tejido en particular o, en el caso de las mujeres en embarazo, una proporción del ADN fetal. En la oncología, por ejemplo, dada la heterogeneidad del cáncer, la aplicación del ADN libre en plasma ha sido difícil de implementar ya que solo existen algunos biomarcadores tumorales específicos para su uso en investigación. Metodologías como la reacción en cadena de la polimerasa (PCR) en tiempo real muestran una gran sensibilidad para detectar mutaciones que permitan establecer un correcto dignóstico y tratamiento de algunas enfermedades como las fetales o las tumorales, al mismo tiempo que disminuye costos. Lo anterior, no deja de ser una gran oportunidad para continuar los procesos de investigación y desarrollo de pruebas que permitan, en un futuro cercano, implementar el uso del ADN libre de células en el área clínica, con resultados confiables en el diagnóstico y tratamiento de enfermedades sin poner en riesgo la integridad del paciente

The prenatal diagnosis and screening, as well as the diagnosis and monitoring of diseases in various medicine fields, is now made more easily thanks to the cell free DNA present in plasma. This DNA represents a small part of the genetic information of a particular tissue or, in the case of pregnant women, a proportion of the fetal DNA. In oncology, for example, given the heterogeneity of cancer, the application of cell free DNA has been difficult to implement since there are only some specific tumoral biomarkers for research use. Methodologies such as real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) show a high sensitivity to detect mutations that allow a correct diagnosis and treatment of fetal or tumoral diseases, at the same time reducing costs. This represents a great opportunity to continue the research and developmental processes of tests that allow its implementation in the clinical area in the near future, with reliable results in diagnosis and treatment of diseases without compromising the patient's integrity

Rastreamento de aneuploidias no primeiro trimestre de gestação: evolução da idade materna à avaliação do DNA fetal livre no sangue materno / Screening for aneuploidies in the first trimester of pregnancy: evolution from maternal age to cell-free DNA testing in maternal blood

O rastreamento fetal de aneuploidia apresentou uma evolução fantástica a partir da avaliação individual da idade materna até os dias atuais, na qual evidências sugerem que o teste de avaliação do DNA fetal livre no sangue materno detecta mais de 99% dos casos de trissomia do cromossomo 21 e, aproximadamente, 98% dos casos de trissomia do 18 e 92%, do 13, com taxas de falso-positivo de 0,1; 0,1 e 0,3%, respectivamente. Recentemente, o grupo de trabalho em boas práticas médicas da Federação Internacional de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia recomendou que todas as gestantes, independentemente da idade, deveriam realizar uma avaliação de risco para aneuploidias por meio da translucência nucal, do teste combinado ou do teste de DNA fetal livre no sangue materno. O teste invasivo para diagnóstico de aneuploidia não deveria ser realizado considerando apenas a idade materna como fator de risco. O objetivo desta revisão foi apresentar esta nova ferramenta de rastreio, presente em muitos centros, e descrever as estratégias para implementação de tal tecnologia na prática clínica diária.(AU)

Screening for fetal aneuploidy has a tremendous evolution from maternal age to now where recent evidence suggests that cell-free DNA testing in maternal blood can detect more than 99% of cases of trisomy 21, about 98% of trisomy 18, and 92% of trisomy 13, with respective false-positive rates of 0.1, 0.1, and 0.3%. Recently, the working group on the best practice on maternal fetal medicine of the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics has recommended as a good medical practice that pregnant women, regardless of maternal age, be offered prenatal assessment for aneuploidy through nuchal translucency, combined test, or cell-free DNA testing. The invasive procedure for diagnosis of aneuploidy should be avoided taking into account only the maternal age as a risk factor nowadays. The purpose of this review was to present this new screening tool available in most centers and to describe the strategies for implementation of this technology on the daily clinical practice.(AU)