Abstract

MicroRNA Based Liquid Biopsy: New Extraction, Preservation and Detection Technologies to Generate miRNA Signatures for Cancer Screening

Pablo Castan, Research Director, Arcis Biotechnology

The development of minimally-invasive tests, such as liquid biopsy, for early cancer detection in its preclinical phase is crucial to improve the outcome of oncologic patients. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, non-coding and tissue-specific-RNAs, which have been reported as extracellular messengers derived from the cross-talk between tumours and their surrounding microenvironment. The development of easy (de-skilled and cost-effective) extraction and preservation solutions teamed with fast and reliable detection could thus represent the ideal format for early detection of defined types of cancer. In this presentation, a new methodological workflow for the prospective validation of a circulating miRNA test using custom made microfluidic cards and microsensing technology in plasma is discussed and compared to state of the art solutions currently used for liquid biopsy.