Pre-analytical optimization of cell-free DNA and extracellular vesicle-derived DNA for mutation detection in liquid biopsies
- bgtaylor1
- Feb 24
- 2 min read
Date: | February 22, 2026 |
PMID: | 41725045 |
Category: | N/A |
Authors: | Jonas Dohmen, Lucrezia De Santis, Bret M Stephens, Vincent Bernard, Jörg C Kalff, Lara Braun, Phillipp Leyendecker, Johannes Röttgen, Daniel Weissinger, Anirban Maitra, Paola A Guerrero, Alexander Semaan |
DOI: |
Liquid biopsies enable noninvasive tumor profiling and longitudinal disease monitoring. Their analytical performance is strongly influenced by pre-analytical factors, yet direct comparisons between cell-free DNA (cfDNA) and extracellular vesicle-derived DNA (evDNA) remain scarce. We prospectively evaluated four pre-analytical variables: processing delay, storage temperature, tube type, and plasma input volume, on cfDNA and evDNA from cancer patient plasma (n = 244) using ddPCR, Qubit, and TapeStation. Key findings were validated in archived plasma samples (n = 723). In the prospective cohort, cfDNA concentrations increased after 24 h and evDNA after 48 h at room temperature, while retrospective analysis revealed earlier changes (cfDNA: 6 h; evDNA: 24 h). Storage conditions influenced both analytes, as short-term refrigeration (4 °C) better preserved DNA quality than -80 °C freezing, while extracted DNA remained stable at -80 °C. Acid citrate dextrose (ACD) and K2EDTA tubes performed similarly under prompt processing. Higher plasma volumes improved evDNA, but not cfDNA, for mutation detection. evDNA demonstrates greater resilience than cfDNA under suboptimal conditions. Standardized workflows and prompt processing are essential to ensure reliable mutation detection in clinical liquid biopsy applications.
Acknowledgements:
The content of this article is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Cancer Institute, or the National Institute of Health.
The Translational and Basic Science Research in Early Lesions (TBEL) Research Consortia is supported and funded by grants from the National Cancer Institute and the National Institutes of Health under the following award numbers:
Project Number: | Awardee Organization |
U54CA274374 | Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center |
U54CA274375 | Houston Methodist Research Institute |
U54CA274370 | Johns Hopkins University |
U54CA274371 | UT MD Anderson Cancer Center |
U54CA274367 | Vanderbilt University Medical Center |
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