A Novel Non-Invasive Biomarker Panel to Identify Glioma Patients

Primary brain tumours are among the most challenging forms of cancer to diagnose and treat. The subtype 'glioblastoma’ (GBM) is the most predominant and aggressive, accounting for over 60 percent of all brain tumours in adults; and killing over 225,000 people worldwide each year. The current median post-diagnosis survival time is approximately 14–15 months with treatment or 3–4 months without treatment. 

The Inspiration Behind the Innovation

Intracranial tumours are among the most inaccessible for diagnostic biopsy due to a considerable risk of serious post-surgical complications such as neurological damage, bleeding and infection. Today, patients with suspected GBM receive a MRI scan. If the scan supports intracranial pathology, this patient is referred for surgery where a biopsy is taken to confirm the diagnosis and perform genome sequencing. This is risky and only captures a static snapshot of the progressive tumour.

Treatment is radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy. However, there's a significant clinical challenge in evaluating treatment response because necrotic tissue within the tumour or inflammation around it resembles tumour growth on a MRI scan.

The Innovation 

The project team is currently validating a novel biomarker in plasma-derived samples on a large patient group.

During the BETA.HEALTH period, investigations of the project's clinical value showed unmet clinical needs in the treatment of glioblastoma. This biomarker could potentially support clinicians in evaluating treatment response and whether there's tumour regrowth. This is extremely important because chemotherapy should only be continued in cases of a positive response, and regrowth may warrant repeat surgery. Both treatment options significantly affect patients' life quality.

Moreover, the biomarker could also potentially support early identification of glioma patients likely to have a glioblastoma. This could reduce the need for MRI scans, which is considered very relevant in countries with limited access to MRI scans.

The Team

Mads Fuglsang Kjølby: Associate Professor; Dandrite Group; Aarhus University Hospital; Aarhus University

Vineesh Indira Chandran: Assistant Professor; Dept. of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University

Peter Lindberg Nejsum: Professor; Dept. of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University

Yaseelan Palarasah: Associate Professor; Dept. of Molecular Medicine Medicine, University of Southern Denmark

Jonas Heilskov Graversen: Associate Professor; Dept. of Molecular Medicine Medicine, University of Southern Denmark