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Liquid Biopsy as a Minimally Invasive Source of Thyroid Cancer Genetic and Epigenetic Alterations
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Fatemeh Khatami1   , Bagher Larijani2 , Shirzad Nasiri3 , Seyed Mohammad Tavangar 4 |
1- Chronic Diseases Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Population Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
2- Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
3- Departments of Surgery, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Shariati Hospital, Tehran, Iran.
4- Chronic Diseases Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Population Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Departments of Pathology, Dr. Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. , tavangar@ams.ac.ir |
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Abstract: (5671 Views) |
In the blood of cancer patients, some nucleic acid fragments and tumor cells can be found that make it possible to trace tumor changes through a simple blood test called “liquid biopsy”. The main components of liquid biopsy are fragments of DNA and RNA shed by tumors into the bloodstream and circulate freely( ctDNAs and ctRNAs). tumor cells which are shed into the blood (circulating tumor cells or CTCs), and exosomes that have been investigated for non-invasive detection and monitoring of several tumors including thyroid cancer. Genetic and epigenetic alterations of a thyroid tumor can be a driver for tumor genesis or essential for tumor progression and invasion. Liquid biopsy can be real-time representative of such genetic and epigenetic alterations in order to trace tumors. In thyroid tumors, the circulating BRAF mutation is now taken into account for both thyroid cancer diagnosis and determination of the most effective treatment strategy. Several recent studies indicate the ctDNA methylation pattern of some iodine transporters and DNA methyltransferase as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in thyroid cancer as well. There is a big hope that the recent advances of genome sequencing together with liquid biopsy can be a game changer in oncology. |
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| Keywords: Liquid biopsy, ctDNA, circulating tumor cells, exosomes, mutation, methylation |
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Full-Text [PDF 398 kb]
(1943 Downloads)
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Type of Study: Review |
Subject:
Biomarkers (diagnosis & treatment)
Received: 2019/03/13 | Accepted: 2019/05/19 | Published: 2019/07/5
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