New diagnostic technology enhances glioblastoma therapy monitoring
A collaborative study by Northwestern Medicine and the University of Michigan introduces a blood test using the GlioExoChip to assess glioblastoma chemotherapy effectiveness, promising timely treatment adjustments and improved patient outcomes.
A recent Northwestern Medicine and University of Michigan study has validated a new blood test that reveals whether chemotherapy for glioblastoma is working or not, leading to timely treatment and better patient outcomes, according to an announcement.
The National Institutes of Health was the main sponsor of the study. The scientists used a “diagnostic technology from the University of Michigan,” the GlioExoChip, to open the blood-brain barrier and leak tumor content into the blood. When patient blood was drawn before and after their treatments, the technology showed the researchers if the treatment was effective. The Michigan scientists separated extracellular vesicles and particles (EVPs) from blood plasma and counted them to analyze chemotherapy effectiveness.
The team hopes to use this technique to analyze treatment effectiveness for other cancers in the future.
