Johns Hopkins: Cerebrospinal fluid can identify aggressive brain tumors in children

By comparing cerebrospinal fluid samples from 40 patients with medulloblastoma, the most common malignant brain tumor in children, accounting for 10 to 15 percent of childhood CNS tumors, and 11 healthy children, the researchers found 110 Genes, 10 RNAs (the mechanism by which proteins are translated) are called circular RNAs, 14 lipids and several metabolites that are expressed differently between the two groups

A description of the work was published Feb.

"We believe this is the first comprehensive, integrative molecular analysis of cerebrospinal fluid from patients with medulloblastoma," said the study's senior author Ranjan Perera, PhD, of the Johns Hopkins All Children's University in St.

"Our study provides a principle of evidence: that all three molecular approaches, which study RNA, lipids and metabolites -- can be successfully applied to CSF ​​samples to not only differentiate patients into medullocytoma and those without the disease, but also It also provides new insights into the pathology of the disease," she added

"This study provides data on new biomarkers for detecting and tracking medulloblastoma, which are necessary to improve patient outcomes," said Chetan Bettegowda, the jenison and Novak Family Professor of Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins University.

The current diagnosis is based on clinical evaluation, imaging, and tumor biopsy

Liquid biopsy - the molecular analysis of biological fluids - is a minimally invasive method that promises to detect and monitor disease by measuring circulating tumor cells, DNA, RNA or other substances in urine, cerebrospinal fluid and blood samples

In this study, Perera and colleagues used genetic sequencing, metabolic and lipid profiling laboratory techniques to tease out differences in RNA, metabolites and lipids from cerebrospinal fluid samples from medulloblastoma patients and healthy controls

More studies in larger patient groups are needed to confirm these findings, Pereira said

This work was supported in part by the Schamroth Project (grant 1R37CA230400) funded by the Ian Friends Foundation, the Hoff Family Foundation, Susan and Roberhof, and the National Cancer Institute

In addition to Pereira and Bet gowda, the study's co-authors are Johns Hopkins' Bongyong Lee, Rudramani Pokhrel, Menglang Yuan, and Stacey Staples.

Journal Reference :

1. Bongyong Lee, Iqbal Mohamad, Rudramani Pokhrel, Rabi Murad, Menglang Yuan, Stacie Stapleton, Chetan Bettegowda, George Jallo, Charles G.