A Participant’s View: Liquid Biopsies 2019

Home institution and country: University College Dublin, Ireland

The aim of my research is to understand why some patients stop responding to their cancer drugs. To do this, I focus on two common deadly cancers in men (prostate) and women (ovarian). I monitor any changes from when they start their treatment until they relapse. This is possible because, as the cancer stops responding to the treatment and spreads around the body, it leaves a trail of “breadcrumbs”. These can be picked up by collecting small amounts of blood. These contain cancer-specific changes that might tell us how the disease is dodging the drug and help improve patient well-being and overall survival.

every topic elevated my knowledge and expertise in this field

What was a personal highlight of the conference for you?

The personal highlight of Liquid Biopsies 2019 for me was the poster session. For the first time since I have started presenting my work in the field of liquid biopsies, I felt like everyone understood what I was saying. Furthermore, it was incredible to see the amazing reaction to my work and take in all the feedback and ideas that other scientists had to share with me. I was in awe of it all and I am very grateful that I had the chance of attending this year’s conference.

Were there any social/networking highlights you want to tell us about?

I would say that one of the networking highlights of the conference for me was to be able to meet Dr. Sarah-Jane Dawson. I used 2013’s New England Journal paper as a guideline for the amazing potential that liquid biopsies can give to the field of cancer research and management. I was extremely grateful to have spoken to her and to soak up the knowledge she shared with me. It was truly an amazing experience.

How was this conference different from others you have attended?

As a cancer researcher, I am familiar with conferences covering a wide variety of topics such as genomics, or cancer management. Whilst it is good to be kept up to date with the latest studies regarding the field, I always felt most talks bore no similarity to my lab work. At Liquid Biopsies 2019, however, I had the opportunity to be present at all the talks and gather information that will certainly help me with my project. From new markers to new sensitive techniques, I feel like every topic elevated my knowledge and expertise in this field.

Have you brought back any specific knowledge that has benefited your research?

The field of liquid biopsies is very exciting and promising, but it is also very recent. The lack of optimised protocols can be a problem for researchers, like me, who are new to the field. Thankfully, this conference gave me the opportunity to attend talks on this liquid biopsies alone. I was also able to interact with some of the world’s most experienced researchers in this field. Both experiences made me think about my research and how I could improve the design of my experiments so that I can produce high quality, publishable results.

Home institution and country: GenoMed – Diagnósticos de Medicina Molecular, SA – Portugal

Since 2009, I have been working at GenoMed, a company affiliated with the University of Lisbon dedicated to medical genomics. My work at GenoMed focuses on the molecular diagnosis of genetic diseases and cancer. In 2015, I was admitted on to a PhD course. My goal is to develop next-generation sequencing methodologies to identify cancer driver mutations in DNA extracted from tumor biopsies and circulating DNA. My ultimate aim is to provide clinicians with precise molecular signatures to guide treatment decisions and monitor disease progression in cancer patients.

It was an opportunity to put a face and voice to those researchers that I admire

What was a personal highlight of the conference for you?

When I was accepted for the bursaries award and could definitely attend Liquid Biopsies 2019, I was amazed. I told my friends and family that I would feel like a little girl, looking at her idols and almost asking for autographs! It was an opportunity to put a face and voice to those researchers that I admire and whose work I follow. On the first day of the meeting, I shook Carlos Caldas hand, and I did not know what else to say.

At the end of the second day, during the panel discussion, it was amazing to see that we are all in the same boat. I heard Professor Alberto Bardelli asking for more ideas on how to improve research in this field. I saw him passing the microphone hoping for more opinions and ideas, instead of sitting and waiting.

Were there any social/networking highlights you want to tell us about?

A few months ago, I wrote an e-mail to a speaker from a Liquid Biopsies course I attended at EMBL. I kept that e-mail in my drafts folder because I wasn’t certain if I should send it. However, on the second day of the conference, I managed to see him and spoke to him about my results and if there was a better way to analyze them. It was indeed very profitable and helpful for me.

How was this conference different from others you have attended?

For the first time in my experience, I noticed that the time was really well distributed, with some time saved for Q&A. This aspect is not normally taken into consideration, and this can lead to enormous delays.  In this conference that didn’t happen and I think that is something that should be highlighted! Congratulations. I also want to highlight the badge recycling! It’s a very important idea. We were always carrying our badges back home and doing nothing with them.

Did you take part in any interesting local/cultural activities in your free time outside of the conference?

Bergamo is a lovely city! On my first day, I went for a walk near my hotel at Città Bassa. On the second day, I woke up earlier, took the funicular and went to Città Alta. Upon arrival, it was like I had transported back to another century! The buildings are amazing and the view from San Giacomo Gate is astonishing!

How has the conference inspired you in your research?

My perspective here is a bit different. I am not a pure researcher. I am doing my PhD at a diagnostic lab and looking forward to making the difference in the tests that we offer. The panel discussion on the 2^nd day was good for me to understand how the way things are going and that we have a big road ahead. However, just before I left, I had the honour of talking with Sarah-Jane Dawson. I am considering implementing something in my lab that she is doing in hers.

Home institution and country: Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy

My work is focused on the analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in patients with solid tumors. CTCs are cells migrating from the primary tumor mass into the bloodstream and are responsible of the formation of metastasis. Their study will enable the understanding of biological mechanisms underlying metastatization. Moreover, they can be used as a surrogate of tissue biopsies and can be repeatedly assessed during the course of the disease. They offer the opportunity to monitor disease evolution in response to treatment in each patient. It has the potential of paving the way for true personalized medicine.

I had access to an incredible amount of data and results

What was a personal highlight of the conference for you?

My personal highlight was Nicola Aceto’s presentation about two brilliant studies on the analysis of circulating tumor cell clusters. I am soon going to start a project on the characterization of circulating tumor cell clusters. The studies presented by Nicola in his talk inspired me.

Were there any social/networking highlights you want to tell us about?

The conference dinner at Taverna Valtellinese was a fun and fruitful experience. I had the chance to meet other young researchers from different parts of the world. I found it very beneficial talking with them about the differences in the research fields between our countries. Moreover, I met two senior researchers who gave me important advice regarding the future steps of my career.

How was this conference different from others you have attended?

My work is mainly focused on liquid biopsy which is usually only one of many topics addressed in cancer research conference programs. This time, the entire conference was about that subject! Not only the presentations, but also all the posters and even the audience consisted of researchers working in this particular field. For this reason I had access to an incredible amount of data and results that were directly useful for my research.

When you got home, was there anything from the conference that you immediately wanted to tell your colleagues about?

During the conference I gave a presentation on double-positive circulating tumor cells, a new subpopulation of CTCs that my group recently discovered. The results were solid but very preliminary. However, I was really excited to discover 2 posters reporting data obtained by two independent groups, that supported our findings. I actually didn’t even wait to get home but immediately sent the picture of the posters to my colleagues in Milan!

Home institution and country: Istituto Scientifico Romagnolo per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori IRCCS, Italy

I am a postdoctoral researcher in the Nanobiomics group at the IRCCS. Our group pursues investigations of tumor cells named Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs) that invade the circulatory system representing a potential cause of metastasis. In particular, my research focus on CTCs in metastatic and non-metastatic oesophageal cancer. I study oesophageal CTCs phenotipically using the DEPArray system, a lab-on-a-chip based technology. On isolated single CTCs we perform next generation single cell analysis to study CTCs heterogeneity. My research includes also in vitro culturing of CTCs to study the capacity of these cells to grow as a tumoroid.

I unexpectedly received positive feedback

What was a personal highlight of the conference for you?

My personal highlight of the conference was unquestionably the poster sessions. This is because Liquid Biopsies 2019 was the premier venue for illustrating research in the field of Liquid Biopsy and for learning about new experimental methodologies..

Were there any social/networking highlights you want to tell us about?

Ahead of the meeting, I scheduled meetings with other researchers, with whom already I collaborate with in order to discuss ongoing projects. I took advantage of the relaxed but engaging environment that the EACR provides and new ideas popped up during coffee breaks. During the poster session, I unexpectedly received positive feedback and suggestions on how to improve my research.

How has the conference inspired you in your research?

During the conference, especially during lectures, I was inspired to broaden my research view. I was happy to see that my research is moving in the right direction in terms of the liquid biopsies community. However, there are still some improvements to make and through the lectures, new perspectives emerged.

Have you brought back any specific knowledge that has benefited your research?

Thanks to Nicola Aceto’s lecture, I figured out the huge impact of a single population of white blood cells have on the metastatic potential of circulating tumor cells. Aceto et al shed a first light on the cross talk between the immune system and CTCs. These findings will improve significantly the research of CTCs and in turn, my research.

Home institution and country: University Hospital of Essen, Department of Dermatology, Essen, Germany

My research project is focused on validating blood-based biomarkers as an alternative approach to invasive tissue biopsies for therapy response monitoring in melanoma. Melanoma is the most common and most dangerous form of skin cancer. Small fragments of DNA are released to the bloodstream from dying normal and cancer cells. The analyses of the cancer-derived DNA fraction – circulating cell-free tumor DNA (ctDNA) – by looking at the most commonly occurring genetic alterations that contribute to melanoma progression can provide valuable clinical information on tumor stage, metastatic spread and response to therapies.

This meeting brought together the biggest experts in the field, which created the perfect opportunity to learn from the best

What was a personal highlight of the conference for you?

Overall, Liquid Biopsies 2019 was a great opportunity for me to hear the current state of liquid biopsy research and to discuss my project with other scientists in the field. The highlight of this meeting was the panel discussion session where liquid biopsy experts openly shared their point of view on the most pressing challenges in this research area.

How was this conference different from others you have attended?

This meeting was unique regarding its topic; it brought together researchers working on liquid biopsies. Even the industrial partners were specialized to liquid biopsies! The size of the conference was just right, it allowed enough time and space for networking and professional development. I appreciated the spotlight presentation sessions; such a great opportunity to attract more people to the posters and promote discussion!

How has the conference inspired you in your research?

Liquid Biopsies 2019 brought together the biggest experts in the field. This created the perfect opportunity to learn from the best. The presentations and the discussion sessions helped me to learn about different techniques and analysis approaches for ctDNA. The debate session was especially inspiring, as I got to see how the leading researchers think about the clinical utility and validity of liquid biopsies. This is a fundamental question of my research project – and they discussed what the next steps are before liquid biopsy biomarkers can enter the clinical routine.

Did you take part in any interesting local/cultural activities in your free time outside of the conference?

Bergamo is a beautiful city with cobblestone streets and historic landmarks. I especially appreciated the cityscape; the lower city is modern with lots shopping and gastronomy. However, the upper city (old town) is full of historic, medieval places. Getting there was fun too! I really enjoyed riding the funicular which connects the two parts of the city!