Identification and validation of liquid biopsy-based methylation biomarkers: a germ cell tumor subtype-specific study

Human germ cell tumors (GCTs) occur in infants, children, and adults, and present as germinomatous and/or non-germinomatous (embryonal carcinoma, teratoma, yolk sac tumor (YST), and choriocarcinoma) histologies at gonadal or extragonadal locations. Accurate subtyping is crucial for prognosis and treatment, but current clinical biomarkers lack sensitivity and specificity (serum proteins) or require a tissue biopsy (immunohistochemistry). Hence, less-invasive and improved…