Non-Invasive Immune Biomarkers: Liquid Biopsy for Immune-Mediated Disorders and Cancer Monitoring

Immune-mediated disorders, encompassing autoimmune diseases and autoinflammatory conditions, along with cancer, form a heterogeneous group of serious pathologies linked by dysregulated immune responses, persistent or aberrant inflammation, tissue injury, and progressive organ damage or dysfunction. Affecting millions worldwide, these disorders constitute a major public health burden due to their high morbidity, diagnostic complexity, and socioeconomic impact. Traditional diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic monitoring methods primarily depend on clinical assessment, autoantibody profiling, imaging modalities, and invasive tissue biopsies. Although these approaches remain foundational, they are often limited by low sensitivity and specificity for the detection of early or subclinical disease, poor ability to reflect real-time disease activity or predict flares, and the inherent risks associated with invasive procedures. These limitations hinder timely intervention and the implementation of personalized treatment.Despite therapeutic advances, managing immune-mediated disorders and cancer remains challenging due to delayed diagnosis, unpredictable disease courses, and difficulties in assessing treatment responses in real time. Conventional biomarkers often lack the precision required for early identification, prognostic stratification, or therapeutic drug monitoring, resulting in suboptimal outcomes, unnecessary immunosuppression, or disease progression. This Research Topic aims to address these gaps by highlighting recent advances in liquid biopsy as a non-invasive platform for biomarker discovery and clinical application. It focuses on the utility of circulating biomarkers such as microRNAs (miRNAs), cell-free DNA (cfDNA) and its epigenetic signatures, metabolomic profiles, and other multi-omic markers in enabling earlier diagnosis, improved prognostic assessment, and real-time monitoring of therapeutic responses. Additionally, the collection will emphasize the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced computational methods (e.g., machine learning, deep learning, and bioinformatics pipelines) for analyzing complex datasets from next-generation sequencing (NGS) and other high-throughput platforms. Through these contributions, we aim to accelerate the translation of liquid biopsy and AI-driven tools into clinical practice, fostering precision medicine and improved patient outcomes in these complex disorders.To explore the translational potential of liquid biopsy in immune-mediated disorders and cancer, we invite submissions addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:- Discovery and validation of novel circulating biomarkers (cfDNA, miRNAs, epigenetics, metabolomics) in patient cohorts.- Multi-omic integration to enhance diagnostic and prognostic accuracy.- Applications for disease monitoring, flare prediction, and therapeutic response assessment.- Technical advancements in liquid biopsy platforms and isolation techniques.- Integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced computational methods for analyzing complex datasets from next-generation sequencing (NGS) and other high-throughput platforms.- Overcoming challenges in standardization of liquid biopsy assays, improving biomarker specificity amid systemic inflammation, and defining strategies for successful clinical implementation and regulatory approval.- Oncology applications of liquid biopsy for longitudinal monitoring (e.g., ctDNA/cfDNA dynamics, circulating tumor cells, minimal residual disease detection), and perspectives on immune-related confounders and opportunities at the intersection of cancer and autoimmunity (e.g., inflammation-driven background signals, therapy-related immune modulation).We welcome Original Research, Reviews, Mini-Reviews, Methods, Perspectives, and Clinical Trials. Submissions bridging fundamental immunology and clinical translation are particularly encouraged to advance liquid biopsy as a precision medicine tool in these debilitating conditions. Topic editors: Hayet RAFA, Intidhar Ben Salem, Amroune Mohamed, Oussama Medjeber Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/76933/non-invasive-immune-biomarkers-liquid-biopsy-for-immune-mediated-disorders-and-cancer-monitoring