Mastering the use of cellular barcoding to explore cancer heterogeneity
Version 2 2025-06-25, 03:59
Version 1 2025-06-23, 06:28
journal contribution
posted on 2025-06-25, 03:59 authored by Antonin SerranoAntonin Serrano, Jean BertheletJean Berthelet, SH Naik, Delphine MerinoDelphine MerinoTumours are often composed of a multitude of malignant clones that are genomically unique, and only a few of them may have the ability to escape cancer therapy and grow as symptomatic lesions. As a result, tumours with a large degree of genomic diversity have a higher chance of leading to patient death. However, clonal fate can be driven by non-genomic features. In this context, new technologies are emerging not only to track the spatiotemporal fate of individual cells and their progeny but also to study their molecular features using various omics analysis. In particular, the recent development of cellular barcoding facilitates the labelling of tens to millions of cancer clones and enables the identification of the complex mechanisms associated with clonal fate in different microenvironments and in response to therapy. In this Review, we highlight the recent discoveries made using lentiviral-based cellular barcoding techniques, namely genetic and optical barcoding. We also emphasize the strengths and limitations of each of these technologies and discuss some of the key concepts that must be taken into consideration when one is designing barcoding experiments. Finally, we suggest new directions to further improve the use of these technologies in cancer research.
Funding
A.S. is supported by the Melbourne Research Scholarship. D.M. is supported by Cancer Council Victoria, the Love Your Sister Foundation, the NBCF (Investigator Initiated Research Scheme grant IIRS-19-082), Susan G. Komen and Cancer Australia (CCR19606878), the Victorian Cancer Agency Mid-Career Research Fellowship (MCRF21011) and the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (Grant 2012196). S.H.N. is supported by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (Grants 1062820, 1100033, 1101378, 1124812 and 1145184).
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