In this webinar, you will learn:

  • Non-Invasive Liquid Biopsies: Cell-free DNA as a key analyte for non-invasive liquid biopsies for cancer diagnosis and monitoring.
  • Enhanced Cell-Free DNA Recovery: Strategies to improve cell-free DNA recovery, including the use of DNA priming agents like DNA-binding monoclonal antibodies.
  • Fc-Domain Engineering: The process of engineering the Fc-domain of antibodies to modify FcγR interactions, enhancing the effectiveness as DNA priming agents.
  • Antibody Sequencing and Engineering: How de novo antibody sequencing informs the engineering of monoclonal antibodies, optimizing their performance for specific applications.

Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), released into the bloodstream by tumor cells, is a promising biomarker for cancer detection, offering noninvasive diagnosis and disease monitoring through standard blood tests. However, the utility of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is constrained by its scarcity, caused by degradation by circulating nucleases and organ-mediated clearance.

To enhance the sensitivity of ctDNA detection in liquid biopsies, attenuating cfDNA clearance becomes crucial. This can be achieved by employing DNA-binding agents. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that bind directly to cfDNA serve as a DNA priming agent, offering protection from circulating DNAases and extending its half-life in circulation. The application of mAbs as DNA-priming agents significantly boosts ctDNA recovery from the blood by more than 10-fold. This effectively overcomes the limitation of low ctDNA quantities that often restrict the sensitivity of liquid biopsies for oncological purposes.

Antibody Sequencing Enables Fc-Engineering of DNA-Binding Antibodies

De novo antibody sequencing enables the engineering of the Fc-domain of the mAb priming agent, eliminating Fc gamma receptor (FcγR)-mediated clearance, and enhances ctDNA recovery. A comprehensive understanding of the amino acid sequence facilitates informed engineering, allowing for the modification of amino acid sequences to introduce desired antibody functions.

Speaker Bios

Dr. Shervin Tabrizi, MD

Physician-Scientist, Radiation Oncologist

Dr. Shervin Tabrizi is a physician-scientist in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and a researcher at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT. His research focuses on liquid biopsies and combines approaches in genomics, protein engineering, and cancer biology to develop novel technologies for cancer detection. Dr. Tabrizi received his undergraduate degree in chemical and physical biology from Harvard College and his medical degree from Harvard Medical School. He completed his internship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and his residency in radiation oncology in the Harvard Radiation Oncology Program at Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital, and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Jennifer Crha, MSc

Regional Sales Manager, Rapid Novor

Jennifer Crha is a dynamic professional with experience in scientific sales and research, the biotechnology and life sciences industry. Currently serving as a Regional Sales Manager at Rapid Novor, Jennifer specializes in consultative sales for antibody sequencing, discovery and characterization. She holds a Master’s degree in chemistry from the University of Guelph, from which her studies focused on polysaccharide characterization via MS and NMR for vaccine development.