Oxford Nanopore Technology and its Application in Liquid Biopsies

Curr Genomics. 2023 Dec 28;24(6):337-344. doi: 10.2174/0113892029286632231127055733.ABSTRACTAdvanced medical technologies are transforming the future of healthcare, in particular, the screening and detection of molecular-genetic changes in patients suspected of having a neoplasm. They are based on the assumption that neoplasms release small amounts of various neoplasm-specific molecules, such as tumor DNA, called circulating DNA (cirDNA), into the extracellular space and subsequently into the blood. The detection of tumor-specific molecules and specific molecular changes in body fluids in a noninvasive or minimally invasive approach is known as "liquid biopsy." The aim of this review is to summarize the current knowledge of the application of ONT for analyzing circulating DNA in the field of liquid biopsies among cancer patients. Databases were searched using the keywords "nanopore" and "liquid biopsy" and by applying strict inclusion criteria. This technique can be used for the detection of neoplastic disease, including metastases, guiding precision therapy, and monitoring its effects. There are many challenges, however, for the successful implementation of this technology into the clinical practice. The first one is the low amount of tumor-specific molecules in the body fluids. Secondly, a tumor molecular signature should be discriminated from benign conditions like clonal hematopoiesis of unknown significance. Oxford Nanopore Technology (ONT) is a third-generation sequenci...
Source: Current Genomics - Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Source Type: research