Blood DNA methylation test to detect and track glioma
Official title: Circulating cell-free DNA methylation as an accurate tool for detection and clinical follow-up of glioma
Funded at Henry Ford Health System · NIH-11285303 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses a small blood sample to look for tumor DNA changes that could find and follow glioma in people with brain tumors.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Henry Ford Health System NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Detroit, United States) |
| Project start | March 10, 2023 |
| Project end | February 29, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $577,365 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA270365-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11285303 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people diagnosed with malignant glioma who can provide blood samples before and after surgery and during routine follow-up visits.
✕Less likely to help
People without glioma, or those whose tumors do not release enough DNA into the bloodstream, may not benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
If you join, you would give blood samples that researchers will analyze for tiny fragments of tumor DNA and their chemical tags (methylation). The team will compare these blood DNA patterns to imaging and clinical follow-up to see if the blood test matches tumor presence, recurrence, or treatment effect. Researchers will use existing methylation data from diagnosis and newly collected blood samples after surgery and during follow-up to refine the markers. The goal is to make a less invasive, more precise way to watch for tumor return or treatment response.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could enable earlier and less invasive detection of glioma recurrence and more timely treatment decisions.
How similar studies have gone: Early research shows tumor DNA and methylation can be found in blood or CSF and the approach is promising for glioma, but it is not yet widely proven in clinical care.
Where this research is happening
-
Henry Ford Health System
Detroit, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Noushmehr, Houtan — Henry Ford Health System
- Study coordinator: Noushmehr, Houtan
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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.