Understanding Glioblastoma with Blood Tests
Cell-Free DNA Methylation Patterns as a Biomarker for Tumor Biology and Clinical Outcomes for Glioblastoma Patients
This project aims to find new ways to understand glioblastoma brain tumors and how they respond to treatment by looking at blood samples.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Duke University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11146725 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Glioblastoma is a very serious brain tumor, and currently, doctors need to perform surgery to get tissue for diagnosis and to understand the tumor. This can be challenging because tumors can be different in various areas and change over time. This project hopes to find a simpler, non-invasive way to learn about glioblastoma by studying patterns in cell-free DNA from blood samples. By doing this, we hope to better predict how a tumor will behave, improve treatment planning, and monitor the disease without repeated surgeries.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This research is relevant for adult patients, 21 years and older, who have been diagnosed with primary or recurrent glioblastoma.
Not a fit: Patients without glioblastoma or those who are not adults would not directly benefit from this specific research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to a simple blood test that helps doctors diagnose glioblastoma, track its progression, and tailor treatments more effectively for patients.
How similar studies have performed: While circulating tumor DNA has shown promise in other cancers, using cell-free DNA methylation patterns for glioblastoma diagnosis and monitoring is a promising area that is still being developed.
Where this research is happening
Durham, United States
- Duke University — Durham, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Vaios, Eugene — Duke University
- Study coordinator: Vaios, Eugene
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.