Epigenetic changes and modifications play an important role in the development and progression of human diseases. Tracking these types of epigenetic biomarkers can be used to evaluate health or disease status, determine the progression of treatments, and most importantly, be stable during sample processing.
With the introduction of molecular technologies in the clinical laboratory such as Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS), Mass Spectrometry, and Microarray, to mention a few, it is possible to monitor epigenetic biomarkers for the development of in vitro diagnostics (IVD) to implement in the clinical laboratory.
Advantages of Epigenetic Biomarkers:
- Assess test performance
- Cost effectiveness
- Acceptable TAT
- Sample type and stability
- Validated testing
In the image presented below, different types of sample specimens can be utilized to evaluate epigenetic biomarkers in the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of cancers.24
24. Tulsyan, S., Aftab, M., Sisodiya, S., Khan, A., Chikara, A., Tanwar, P., and Hussain, S. "Molecular basis of epigenetic regulation in cancer diagnosis and treatment." Frontiers in Genetics. August 2022. 13. 10.3389/fgene.2022.885635.
