Read the spinal fluid to track brain tumours without opening the skull
Fluid taken from the lower back contains DNA from brain tumours. Testing it can diagnose, monitor and detect resistance without brain surgery.
Cerebrospinal fluid ctDNA outperforms plasma for central nervous system tumours and detects leptomeningeal disease earlier than cytology or MRI in several studies, including paediatric brain tumours and lymphoma. Standardisation, assay validation and demonstrating that acting on the result improves outcomes are the missing pieces.
- The brain: barrier and sanctuary · Most drugs cannot cross into the brain, so brain tumours and brain metastases lag every other site.
- Dormant cells and minimal residual disease · After a 'successful' treatment, cells can sleep for years then relapse. We can barely detect them and cannot target them.
- Biomarkers are not validated or standardised · Tests that decide who gets a drug are often not validated prospectively and are measured differently in every lab.
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not linked directly; found by shared links- IdeaTake the blood test, and give the drug, at the right time of day
Shares Circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA), Dormant cells and minimal residual disease, Minimal / molecular residual disease (MRD), Biomarkers are not validated or standardised.
- PersonAsh A. Alizadeh
Shares Circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA), Minimal / molecular residual disease (MRD), MRD / molecular residual disease testing, Liquid biopsy (ctDNA).
- TechnologyctDNA monitoring in lymphoma (PhasED-seq, clonoSEQ)
Shares Circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA), Dormant cells and minimal residual disease, Minimal / molecular residual disease (MRD), MRD / molecular residual disease testing.
- IdeaBank yearly blood from cancer survivors so future tests can be validated
Shares Circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA), Dormant cells and minimal residual disease, Minimal / molecular residual disease (MRD), MRD / molecular residual disease testing.
- IdeaUltrasound-assisted blood test instead of a brain biopsy
Shares The brain: barrier and sanctuary, Circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA), MRD / molecular residual disease testing, Liquid biopsy (ctDNA).
- IdeaCirculating tumour cell clearance as the phase 2 gate for anti-metastatic drugs
Shares Circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA), Minimal / molecular residual disease (MRD), Biomarkers are not validated or standardised, MRD / molecular residual disease testing.
- IdeaCertified reference samples to benchmark every tumour-DNA blood test
Shares Circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA), Minimal / molecular residual disease (MRD), Biomarkers are not validated or standardised, MRD / molecular residual disease testing.
- IdeaFormally qualify tumour-DNA blood tests as a surrogate endpoint for adjuvant trials
Shares Circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA), Dormant cells and minimal residual disease, Minimal / molecular residual disease (MRD), Biomarkers are not validated or standardised.