Home

The Liquid Biopsy Core, led by Director Dr. Erica L. Carpenter, focuses on the identification, capture, and analysis of cellular and molecular signatures from liquid biopsies of cancer patients, including Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs) and cell-free DNA (cfDNA). Liquid biopsies are fluid specimens, such as blood, urine, pleural effusions, and cerebrospinal fluid. Such specimens tend to be non-invasively captured patient samples, allowing for more frequent sampling.  The specimens are used to detect biomarkers in pursuit of

1) early detection of disease as well as post-therapy monitoring of minimal residual disease

2) tracking clinical and biological response to therapy and, thus, clinical decision-making,

3) cancer genetic phenotyping to drive personalized medicine that obviates the need for serial biopsies in a population of patients for which these procedures are difficult, risky, and insufficient.

The focus of the Liquid Biopsy Core is driven by the needs of clinicians and translational investigators and realized through collaborative work with investigators in the Penn School of Medicine, the Penn School of Engineering, and the Center for Personalized Diagnostics. Moreover, when it is determined that outsourcing of technology development is preferable, collaborative efforts with industry partners are actively sought, and these efforts have already been initiated in focused areas.

The Liquid Biopsy Laboratory is affiliated with:

• Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology | Penn Medicine
• The Center for Cellular Immunotherapies (CCI) | Penn Medicine
• Abramson Cancer Center | Penn Medicine