(ORDO NEWS) — Glioblastoma is a fatal brain cancer with very low survival rates. Realizing, as certain types of cells contribute to its spread, doctors can offer more effective treatments. Researchers have developed a new tool, which allows you to classify the most deadly cells and evaluate, how difficult can be the patient’s condition.
The new device allows you to distinguish healthy cells from those that can cause the development of brain cancer and other organs.
The new MAqCI lab test is based on a study from Johns Hopkins University last year. As part of this work, scientists have created a tool to distinguish breast cancer metastatic cells from healthy ones.
Hoping that the technique could be applied to other types of cancer, the same group of researchers teamed up with scientists at the Mayo Clinic and Stanford University to do more extensive work. Glioblastoma, which has an average lifespan of six to 29 months depending on its aggressiveness, is the most important target.
The device itself resembles an anthill, consisting of Y-shaped tunnels that follow the vascular channels of the brain. A small number of cells are located inside this device, while some of them move through the channels more freely than others. By observing which cells are mobile and agile enough to squeeze through these channels in confined spaces and continue reproducing, scientists can conclude that they are most likely to cause metastases.
This method was tested on brain cancer cells from 28 patients, retrospectively assessing potential cell mortality and then predicting the duration of survival in each case. According to the team, the accuracy of the experiment was 86%, while in a separate experiment on five patients, 100% accuracy was achieved.
By measuring the metastatic tendencies of cells in this way, scientists can not only determine which cancers have a chance to spread and be fatal, but also explore new ways to fight them. However, the team will first try to solidify their impressive results by experimenting with large groups of patients.
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