Blood-based tumor DNA test to detect and track glioblastoma
Circulating Cell-Free DNA as a Personalized Biomarker to Diagnose and Monitor Glioblastoma Extension
This work uses tumor DNA found in blood to help identify and follow glioblastoma in adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R37 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Salt Lake City, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11294162 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you have glioblastoma, researchers will try to find bits of tumor DNA circulating in your blood to create a personalized fingerprint of your tumor. They will collect blood samples and compare the cell-free DNA to tumor-specific changes to improve detection despite background normal DNA. The team plans to use highly sensitive methods tailored to each patient’s tumor to distinguish true recurrence from treatment effects like pseudoprogression. The goal is a less invasive way to guide care and follow disease over time.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with glioblastoma, including those with unclear MRI results or suspected recurrence, would be the ideal candidates for participation.
Not a fit: People without glioblastoma, or whose tumors shed very little tumor DNA into the bloodstream, are unlikely to benefit from this approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could allow earlier and less invasive detection of tumor recurrence and reduce the need for risky brain biopsies.
How similar studies have performed: Blood-based tumor DNA tests have worked well for some other cancers, but prior attempts in glioblastoma have been challenging and this project builds on newer, more personalized detection methods.
Where this research is happening
Salt Lake City, United States
- Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah — Salt Lake City, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Underhill, Hunter Reeve — Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah
- Study coordinator: Underhill, Hunter Reeve
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.