Circulating Tumor DNA and Cells in Osteosarcoma

Dr. Crompton is a pediatric oncologist and physician scientist at Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorder Center. His research focuses on utilizing genomic and proteomic technologies to identify and validate new therapeutic targets for pediatric solid tumors and to develop non-invasive biomarkers of treatment response and resistance in these diseases. His laboratory has developed new approaches to estimating circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) levels from liquid biopsy samples from patients with pediatric solid tumors. These assays help track ctDNA levels over time and allow correlation between ctDNA levels and response to therapy and outcome. His team is also developing strategies for identification, quantification, and interrogation of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from liquid biopsy samples, including the application of single-cell profiling technologies.