Hellenic Society of Liquid Biopsy

Liquid biopsy is a minimally invasive blood-based approach that has the potential to provide information on early diagnosis, prognosis, response to therapeutic regimens and chemo-resistance development. The detection and molecular characterization of circulating tumor cells (CTCs), the detection of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) and exosomes, in the peripheral blood of cancer patients, represent the main liquid biopsy approaches.

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The aim of the society is the study of the biology and clinical significance of CTCs, circulating nucleic acids (ctDNA, circulating miRNAs) and exosomes in the peripheral blood of cancer patients, as long as their interplay with the immune system in different stages of cancer development.

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Analysis of Circulating Tumor Cells Laboratory (ACTC lab)

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ACTC Lab specializes in the development, analytical validation and clinical evaluation of molecular assays for the detection, enumeration and molecular characterization of CTCs.

More specifically, our main research interests are on:

a) development of ultra-sensitive diagnostic methodologies based on droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) and real-time PCR, for the detection of mutations in CTCs and ctDNA (PIK3CA, ESR1, BRAF, KRAS, EGFR etc.)

b) development and clinical evaluation of single and multiple RT-qPCR and RT-ddPCR methods for the detection, quantification and molecular characterization at the level of gene expression in CTCs (PD-L1, AR-V7, CK-19, CK-8, CK -18 etc.)

c) counting and molecular characterization of CTCs with the CellSearch system, FDA-approved for metastatic breast, prostate and colorectal cancer.

d) development of liquid bead array methods based on multiple RT-PCR for the detection and molecular characterization of CTCs (Luminex system)

e) study of epigenetic modifications in CTCs and ctDNA in the blood of patients with various types of cancer: breast, lung, colon, ovary, prostate, etc.

f) evaluation of circulating miRNAs and EVs extracellular vesicles as biomarkers in various types of cancer.

 

ACTC lab is ISO-15189 accredited for liquid biopsy analyses.