Colo-Alert™

Tissue biopsy has long been the only way to make a definitive diagnosis for most cancer types, but the search for noninvasive yet comprehensive cancer diagnostic methods is yielding important results.

Analyzing genomes from a blood test reveals a new approach, according to a study published in Cancer Research August 15 that was led by a team from Complete Genomics. In this project, the team isolated 34 highly pure circulating tumor cells (CTCs) using immunomagnetic enrichment/fluorescence-activated cell sorting, and performed whole genome sequencing (WGS) based on long fragment read technology (LFR). Taking advantage of this combination approach, they were able to identify several driver mutations and the tissue of origin of these CTCs. The project has proved the concept of using advanced WGS of CTCs for high-resolution analyses of cancers, and will help to guide personalized therapy.

PHILADELPHIA, May 9, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Children’s Brain Tumor Tissue Consortium (CBTTC) has announced the addition of two new satellite member institutions located in China.

The addition of The Beijing Tiantan Hospital Neurosurgery Center (BTHNC), located in Beijing and The China National GeneBank (CNGB), established by BGI in Shenzhen, increases the total membership of the CBTTC to 15 core and satellite member institutions located throughout Europe, Asia and the United States.

CNBG/BGI and the BTHNC have agreed to contribute genomic data collected from specimens of extracted pediatric brain tumor tissue, which will be uploaded into CAVATICA, a cloud-based platform developed by the CBTTC for collaboratively accessing, sharing and analyzing pediatric cancer data. In addition, BGI and CNBG will lead the recruitment of additional Chinese hospitals and will coordinate the execution of the CBTTC’s protocols from sample collection to big data analysis and clinical treatment, for CBTTC member sites in China.