Peter Krein on Developments in Liquid Biopsies

Peter Krein, PhD, senior director, Medical and Scientific Affairs, QIAGEN, discusses the company's latest advancements in liquid biopsies in comparison to surgical biopsies.

According to Krein, liquid biopsies are of value to oncologists and patients because, oftentimes, patients are not healthy enough to undergo a traditional surgical biopsy. Moreover, the biopsy material obtained from a traditional biopsy can be insufficient. A smaller amount of material makes it more difficult for oncologists to profile and make accurate diagnostic- and treatment-related decisions for patients.

Ongoing programs at QIAGEN for companion diagnostics utilizing liquid biopsies include circulating cell-free DNA, isolation of circulating tumor cells, and profiling of exomes.