Biomarker for Predicting Survival in Glioblastoma

Men with glioblastoma may have worse survival due to neuroinflammation protein as per a study “The Translocator Protein (TSPO) Genetic Polymorphism A147T Is Associated with Worse Survival in Male Glioblastoma Patients”, at the Florida International University, published in the special issue of the Cancers journal.

Glioblastoma is one of the deadliest and devastating types of brain tumors that affect glial cells of the brain. It burdens around 12,000 people in the U.S. annually with males being affected almost 1.6 times more than females.

Glioblastoma Multiforme | Astrocytoma Grade 4 - Types, Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment
Glioblastomas are tumors that arise from astrocytes that make up the supportive tissue of the brain. Glioblastomas are usually highly malignant.

‘Study finds that men with glioblastoma may have worse survival due to a neuroinflammation protein called translocator protein 18 kDa (TSPO). This may help formulate the protein as a biomarker in the prognosis of these tumors. ’

Tweet it Now

The median survival time for glioblastoma is 12 to 14 months, and less than 7% of patients survive more than five years. This mandates better treatments and strategies for the disease.

One of the widely used biomarkers of neuroinflammation is a specific protein called translocator protein 18 kDa (TSPO). The study shows that there is a connection between TSPO and worse survival outcomes in male glioblastoma patients.

“I've studied TSPO for more than 20 years and knew that it was highly expressed in glioblastomas. This outstanding research team is beginning to uncover its role in one of the deadliest cancers. We hope this research will lead to finding better treatments and, one day, a cure,” says Tomás Guilarte, scientist, professor, and dean of Stempel College, who was a senior author of the study.

Tissue Time Machine Integrated With 3D Maps Of Glioblastomas
First detailed 3D maps of human glioblastomas predict therapeutic response for a brain tumor with an integrated ‘tissue time machine’.

Glioblastoma and Neuroinflammatory Protein

To further investigate the sex differences in glioblastoma, and establish a correlation between the TSPO polymorphic variant rs6971, the study team analyzed the blood samples of 441 glioblastoma males and female patients.

Immunotherapy Benefits for Glioblastoma Increases By Incorporating Gel
Surgically treated brain for glioblastoma might acquire enhanced CAR-T immunotherapy benefits by incorporating a newly developed gel with the therapy.

It was found that males with the TSPO variant had shorter overall and progression-free survival times when compared with female glioblastoma patients.

The study thereby uncovers a new link for bringing both the scientific and medical community closer to understanding the reason behind the deadliest nature of glioblastoma in males than females.

Possible Reason for the Failure of Immunotherapy in Glioblastoma
One of the reasons for the failure of immunotherapy in the deadliest malignant brain tumor has been found.

“We have been thinking about sex differences in glioblastoma in terms of immune responses and this collaborative study provides an unexpected example of a polymorphism that shows a sex difference, suggesting that there are likely others that function in a similar manner. This is an exciting new direction and will be the focus of future studies,” says Justin D. Lathia, vice-chair of the Department of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Sciences at Cleveland Clinic's Lerner Research Institute and one of the study’s senior authors.

Source-Medindia