This webinar, brought to you by biomodal, will be hosted live and available on-demand.
Wednesday, May 27th, 2026
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM ET
Early detection remains a key challenge in colorectal cancer research, where identifying sensitive and specific biomarkers in liquid biopsy samples can improve clinical outcomes. Epigenetic modifications, including 5-methylcytosine (5mC) and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), provide complementary insights into gene regulation and tumor development. Advances in sequencing approaches now enable integrated analysis of these modifications within the six-base genome, supporting improved detection of early-stage disease in cell-free DNA (cfDNA) and tissue samples.
In this webinar, brought to you by biomodal, Sophie Kirschner, associate director of translational medicine genomics at AstraZeneca, will discuss the application of 6-base genome analysis for colorectal cancer biomarker discovery. The session will examine findings from whole genome sequencing studies comparing untreated patients with colorectal cancer and healthy controls, with a focus on differentially methylated regions across disease stages. The discussion will highlight how combining 5mC and 5hmC measurements improves diagnostic performance and provides insight into biological changes associated with tumor progression.
Topics to be covered
- The biological roles of 5-methylcytosine (5mC) and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC)
- Application of 6-base genome sequencing in liquid biopsy and FFPE samples
- Identification of differentially methylated regions in colorectal cancer
- Integration of epigenetic biomarkers for early-stage cancer detection
- The additional biological insight that 6-base biomarkers provide
- Use of cfDNA and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples in genomic analysis
 | Sophie Kirschner, PhD |
