Circulating Biomarkers
Circulating Biomarkers - Related Videos
08:29
Biomarkers in an Animal Model for Revealing Neural, Hematologic, and Behavioral Correlates of PTSD
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Cited by 29 •
2012
We describe a rat model of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that reveals the persistent alterations in neuroendocrine function and the delayed long-term, exaggerated fear response, characteristic of PTSD patients. The animal model and methods described here are useful for correlating biomarkers in brain nuclei, which are mechanistic but cannot be measured in patients, with biomarkers in peripheral white blood cells, which can.
08:10
Capture and Release of Viable Circulating Tumor Cells from Blood
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Cited by 2 •
2016
A protocol to utilize a poly(N-iso-propylacrylamide) (PIPAAm) coated microfilter for effective capture and thermoresponsive release of viable circulating tumor cells (CTC) is presented. This method allows capture of CTC from patients' blood and subsequent release of viable CTC for downstream off-chip culture, analyses and characterization.
08:28
An Overview of bGDGT Biomarker Analysis for Paleoclimatology
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2023
Source: Laboratory of Jeff Salacup - University of Massachusetts Amherst Throughout this series of videos, natural samples were extracted and purified in search of organic compounds, called biomarkers, that can relate information on climates and environments of the past. One of the samples analyzed was sediment. Sediments accumulate over geologic time in basins, depressions in the Earth into which sediment flows through the action of fluid (water or air), movement, and gravity. Two main types...
01:14
Fetal Circulation
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2024
Fetal circulation is a unique system that facilitates the exchange of gases, nutrients, and waste products between the developing fetus and the mother. This intricate process takes place through a special organ called the placenta. Two umbilical arteries transport blood from the fetus to the placenta. At the placenta, the blood absorbs oxygen and nutrients while simultaneously eliminating waste products. This oxygen-enriched and nutrient-rich blood then returns to the fetus through one...
01:21
Coronary Circulation
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2024
The heart, an organ critical to survival, gets nourishment not from the blood it pumps but from a separate circulation system known as coronary circulation. This is the shortest circulation in the body and is responsible for supplying the heart with the nutrients it needs to function effectively. Coronary circulation begins at the base of the aorta, where two main arteries arise—the left and right coronary arteries. These arteries encircle the heart in the coronary sulcus and supply the...
FAQs
The signal measured in blood can come from several tumor-associated sources, including cell-free DNA, circulating tumor cells, proteins, and extracellular vesicles released by tumors or surrounding tissues. These analytes provide different kinds of information because they represent molecular material, intact cells, or released biological products. Considering multiple signal types can broaden characterization of tumor biology.
Serial sampling matters because a single blood measurement provides only one time point, whereas repeated measurements can show how cancer-associated signals change during treatment. In cancer research, these trends may help track therapeutic response, reveal emerging resistance, and identify patterns associated with recurrence. The value lies in following change, not merely recording presence.
Circulating biomarkers complement tissue biopsy when obtaining sufficient tumor material is difficult. A blood-based assay can capture tumor-related signals without relying exclusively on a tissue specimen, while tissue remains a separate source of biological information. This complementary role is especially relevant for research designs that need repeated observations or face limited tumor material.
A basic blood-based workflow begins with collecting a body-fluid sample, especially blood, followed by an assay that captures and analyzes measurable biological molecules or cells. Depending on the research question, investigators may examine cell-free DNA, circulating tumor cells, proteins, or extracellular vesicles. The selected signal determines which aspect of tumor-associated biology can be assessed.
Researchers may evaluate these measurements for several cancer-study purposes: screening, diagnosis, prognosis, treatment selection, and monitoring therapeutic response or recurrence. The same broad category of biomarker can therefore support different decisions depending on when the sample is collected and what question the assay is designed to address.
They allow investigators to examine blood-based signals as cancer changes, rather than limiting analysis to a single tumor snapshot. In this context, serial measurements can connect biomarker patterns with treatment response, resistance, or recurrence and help characterize disease dynamics over time. This makes them relevant to studies focused on changing tumor biology and therapeutic outcomes.