Gliomas Rapidly Diagnosed from Serum Samples

Current methods can diagnose brain cancer within two to three days, but a new technique has been created in which the disease could be diagnosed in just half an hour.

A rapid diagnostic method based upon serum samples would allow for a relatively noninvasive test and open up the possibility of screening for brain cancer using a Bioplex immunoassay.


Scientists at the University of Central Lancashire (Preston, UK) collected blood samples from 50 patients with clinically confirmed glioblastoma (GBM) brain tumors and 25 normal patients. The average age of the entire sample set is 60.2 years. The Bioplex suspension array system was used to quantitate the cytokine and angiogenesis factor secretion. The technology incorporates 100 color-coded bead sets each of which is conjugated to a specific reactant. Identification is based around a laminar flow system of flow cytometry that identifies and quantitates each specific reaction based on bead color and fluorescence.

Immunohistochemical staining of formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded tissue sections of the patients used for the serum analysis was performed using antibodies raised against Follistatin-288 (AbD Serotec, Kidlington, UK). The secondary antibody, blocking reagents, avidin-biotin complex, and chromagen were in the Universal Vectastain kit (Vector Labs; Burlingame, CA, USA). The Fourier transform infrared FTIR-410 Specac ATR single reflection diamond Golden Gate spectrometer (Jasco; Easton, MD, USA) was used in absorption mode to collect spectra from all serum samples.

When the investigators transmitted infrared light directly at the serum, the light had the ability to detect its molecular vibration, meaning they could determine whether the gliomas were cancerous or not. This test can achieve a diagnosis within 30 minutes. The analytes that show a statistical difference between control serum and GBM are angiopoietin, follistatin, human growth factor, interleukin-8, leptin, platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) and platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1).

Matthew J. Baker, the senior author said, “The result we have achieved is a milestone and has the ability to revolutionize the clinical environment by providing objective measures for diagnoses, enabling increased efficiency and economic impact upon the health services. We hope this will also help to relieve some of the emotional stress patients experience waiting for test results.” The study was originally published in the November 2013 issue of the journal Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry.

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University of Central Lancashire
AbD Serotec 
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