IISc- Biomarkers to predict disease progression in brain tumour

November 19, 2021

Researchers of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru, along with other collaborators, identified potential blood-based biomarkers for predicting disease progression and survival times among people with late-stage brain tumours.

Highlights

  • As per release, team behind this innovation include researchers from:
  1. Centre for Bio Systems Science and Engineering (BSSE), IISc
  2. Mazumdar Shaw Centre for Translational Research and
  3. Mazumdar Shaw Medical Foundation.
  • The researchers analysed tumour and blood samples from individuals with gliomas in order to identify surface proteins on immune cells in blood.
  • The study was published in OncoImmunology.

Late-stage gliomas

As per researchers, late-stage gliomas like grade three and grade four gliomas are linked with a poor prognosis. Such tumour is hard to treat and patient is likely to have low chance of survival.

Blood-Based biomarkers

Study of the researchers suggests that two blood-based biomarkers, present on immune cells, can be used for identifying patients who might not perform well with any specific treatment strategies. Such blood-based testing methodology will help clinicians in understanding disease progression in better manner and choose effective treatment regimen.

Significance of the development

The conventional cancer treatments such as chemotherapy are often ineffective to treat tumours. This led to a shift to newer techniques such as immunotherapy. Immunotherapy provoke immune system to attack tumour cells.

How this study was conducted?

Researchers collected blood and tumour samples from patients having grade three and grade four gliomas. They compared the numbers of specific immune cells called neutrophils and monocytes in these samples. They also looked for differences in surface proteins composition on these cells across two grades of tumours. They found a certain type of monocytes called M2 monocytes, were present in samples from grade four tumours.

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