A clinical pilot study by biotechnology company Genomill Health, published in Scientific Reports, shows that Bridge Capture™ technology can reliably detect important mutations in blood samples from patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. This development could revolutionize liquid biopsy and significantly improve the monitoring of cancer progression and recurrence.

The study, conducted in collaboration with Professor Ari Ristimäki’s group at Helsinki University Hospital, confirms that Bridge Capture™ matches or exceeds the sensitivity of digital droplet PCR (ddPCR), an established gold standard. At the same time, the technology offers high scalability, a cost-efficient workflow and compatibility with various sequencing platforms, which enables decentralized testing using next-generation sequencing (NGS). Compared to ddPCR and Ion AmpliSeq™, Bridge Capture™ showed high concordance and additionally identified previously unknown oncogenic mutations reflecting disease progression in longitudinal plasma samples, according to the manufacturer.

The technology is based on Genomill’s Geno1® innovations, which utilize circular single-stranded DNA and PCR-free amplification methods. This enables a more flexible and robust preparation of NGS libraries compared to traditional linear approaches. By simplifying the laboratory process and reducing cost and infrastructure hurdles, Bridge Capture™ is expected to make liquid biopsy more accessible for routine cancer diagnostics. The technology could achieve a breakthrough particularly in the area of treatment monitoring, as it can detect changes in the course of the disease at an early stage and support the adaptation of therapies.

The full study is available in Scientific Reports under the title “Evaluation of Bridge Capture technology for mutation profiling in liquid biopsies of metastatic colorectal cancer patients”.

Original Paper:

Evaluation of Bridge Capture technology for mutation profiling in liquid biopsies of metastatic colorectal cancer patients | Scientific Reports

Read also:

Smartphone-based stool test: New option for colorectal cancer screening in Germany – MedLabPortal

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