Release date: 2018-04-28
Scientists at the University of Washington recently published an article in Scientific Reports saying they have developed a technology that can detect brain tumor biomarkers using simple blood analysis.
Dr. Hong Chen and Dr. Eric C. Leuthardt led the study. The team they led used focused ultrasound and some microbubbles to allow biomarkers in brain tumors to cross the blood-brain barrier into the patient's blood, thus avoiding the need for surgical biopsy.
Dr. Chen said that although researchers have learned how to get drugs through the blood-brain barrier into the brain, so far, no one has thought of ways to release tumor-specific biomarkers (such as mRNA) into the bloodstream.
“Blood-based fluid biopsies have been used in other cancers, but not in the brain. The technology we develop is expected to perform blood tests on patients with brain cancer,†said Dr. Chen. Blood tests reveal the amount of mRNA in the blood, providing the doctor with tumor information that is useful for diagnosis and treatment.
A major obstacle to liquid biopsy of brain tumors is the blood-brain barrier, which blocks tumor biomarkers from entering the peripheral circulation. The researchers will focus on ultrasound and microbubbles to see if they can promote the release of biomarkers from the brain to the blood circulation.
They used focused ultrasound to treat two glioblastoma tumor models (U87 and GL261) in the presence of microvesicles, which were developed by injection of eGFP-transduced glioblastoma. They used quantitative PCR to determine the effect of focused ultrasound on plasma eGFP mRNA levels. They found that eGFP mRNA was only detected in treated U87 mice but not in untreated mice. The same result was obtained for GL261 mice.
Researchers use focused ultrasound to target tumors in mouse models, which use the energy of ultrasound to target tissues in the body. Similar to a magnifying glass that focuses sunlight on a point, focused ultrasound also focuses the energy of the ultrasound at a point deep in the brain.
Once they have a target, such as a brain tumor, the team will inject microbubbles similar to red blood cells. When the microbubbles reach the target, they explode, causing the blood-brain barrier to rupture slightly, allowing the biomarkers of the brain tumor to pass through the barrier and be released into the bloodstream. Biomarkers in tumors can be determined by blood samples.
Dr. Leuthardt believes that this technology will help personalize healthcare. "In many ways, brain tumor treatment is considered the Holy Grail. It is now able to continuously monitor the molecular changes in tumors, which not only helps in the diagnosis of tumors, but also tracks the response of tumors to different therapies," he said.
Researchers are currently refining this process. They will be integrated with advanced genome sequencing and bioinformatics in the future to achieve more accurate diagnosis. “Our current job is to optimize this technology and evaluate its sensitivity and safety,†said Dr. Chen. (Biology through mint)
Original Search: Focused Ultrasound-Enabled Brain Tumor Liquid Biopsy
Source: Biopass
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