The prospect and challenges to the flow of liquid biopsy in Africa

Oluwaseyi Temilola, Dada; Wium, Martha; Coulidiati, Tangbadioa Herve; Adeola, Henry Ademola; Carbone, Giuseppina Maria; Catapano, Carlo Vittorio; Zerbini, Luiz Fernando

doi:10.3390/cells8080862

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Journal article

The prospect and challenges to the flow of liquid biopsy in Africa

Oluwaseyi Temilola, Dada International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Cape Town 7925, South Africa - Integrative Biomedical Sciences Division, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
Wium, Martha International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Cape Town 7925, South Africa
Coulidiati, Tangbadioa Herve International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Cape Town 7925, South Africa - Training and Research unit in Sciences and Technology, University Norbert Zongo, P.O. Box 376, Koudougou 376, Burkina Faso
Adeola, Henry Ademola Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences and Groote Schuur Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
Carbone, Giuseppina Maria Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera italiana, Switzerland
Catapano, Carlo Vittorio Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera italiana, Switzerland
Zerbini, Luiz Fernando International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Cape Town 7925, South Africa

09.08.2019

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Cells. - 2019, vol. 8, no. 8, p. 862

English Liquid biopsy technologies have the potential to transform cancer patient management as it others non- invasive diagnosis and real-time monitoring of disease progression and treatment responses. The use of liquid biopsy for non-invasive cancer diagnosis can have pivotal importance for the African continent where access to medical infrastructures is limited, as it eliminates the need for surgical biopsies. To apply liquid biopsy technologies in the African setting, the influence of environmental and population genetic factors must be known. In this review, we discuss the use of circulating tumor cells, cell-free nucleic acids, extracellular vesicles, protein, and other biomolecules in liquid biopsy technology for cancer management with special focus on African studies. We discussed the prospect, barriers, and other aspects that pose challenges to the use of liquid biopsy in the African continent.

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