Isotopic tracers provide insight into brain tumors
Categorie(s) : News, Research
Published : 30 November 2014
Last fall Clinatec kicked off a two-year clinical trial on six patients suffering from the most serious form of brain tumor. An amino acid tracer is being administered to monitor certain proteins secreted in the patients’ blood—and provide valuable insight into tumor activity.
The results will be used to identify which of the proteins would be useful as biomarkers in determining how the tumor is developing and how it will respond to different treatments. In addition, several hundred proteins circulating in the bloodstream and tumor will be assessed to identify new therapeutic targets.
Prior to the Clinatec trial, isotopic tracers had only been used once on proteins, by a team of researchers in the US in a trial involving Alzheimer’s patients.