Innovative Techniques in Glioblastoma Treatment

Patients diagnosed with glioblastoma have an average life expectancy of 15 months. The biggest challenge lies in identifying hidden cancer cells and predicting where the tumor will grow in the future. Jennifer Munson and her research team at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute believe they have developed a tool to achieve this.

Techniques Used to Detect Cancer Cells

The method, recently described in the Journal of Biomedical Innovations, combines MRI imaging with Munson’s deep understanding of fluid movement through human tissues, alongside an algorithm developed by her team to identify and predict where cancer might reappear.

Munson, a professor and director of the Cancer Research Center at Fralin at VTC, explains, “If you can’t find the cancer cells, you can’t eliminate them, whether by surgical removal, radiation therapy, or drugs.”

Current Challenges in Glioblastoma Treatment

Currently, doctors plan surgeries to remove glioblastoma tumors based on radiological scans, but these only provide a view of the area around the cancer’s edge. During surgery, fluorescent dyes highlight cancer cells, but these dyes do not penetrate deeply and require cells to be visible to the eye.

Munson notes, “Those methods cannot see the cell that has migrated or invaded deeper into the tissue, which we believe we can achieve with this method.”

The Role of Fluid Movement in Tumor Detection

Munson’s research primarily focuses on fluid flow between cells in tissues. It has been shown that this flow varies with different diseases. In glioblastoma studies, Munson’s lab found that faster flows predict where cancer cells invade, while more random fluid movement, or diffusion, is associated with less invasion by cancer cells.

However, a new metric developed by Munson’s team has proven to be a better indicator. It identifies fluid flow around the tumor as pathways, like streams merging into rivers, which cancer cells follow to move into surrounding tissues.

Potential Applications and Development of Future Treatments

Munson states, “This can inform surgeons where there is a greater chance of more tumor cells, so they may be more aggressive if it is safe for the patient to target a more invasive area.”

Munson’s findings support the work of a new startup, Cairina, which aims to improve cancer treatment through a more personalized approach to surgery and cancer therapies.

Munson adds, “Cairina is trying to take this to the next level. Our goal is to provide surgeons and radiation oncologists with probability maps or hot spot maps, where we expect greater cancer cell invasion to support a more aggressive therapeutic application, and also to identify areas with potentially less invasion, to help avoid unnecessary treatment of tissue.”

Conclusion

Jennifer Munson’s research offers new hope in the field of glioblastoma treatment by providing a tool based on understanding fluid movement in tissues, allowing for more precise identification of hidden cancer cells. This approach not only helps improve surgical outcomes but also offers the potential for developing more personalized and effective treatments. Supported by several prestigious institutions, such as the National Cancer Institute and the Red Gates Foundation, this research could be a significant step toward a cancer-free future.