HEALTH - Blood test 'finds brain tumours'

Tiny fatty balls ejected bycancer cells into the bloodstream have been
used to detect deadly brain tumours, US researchers report.
The spheres, known as microvesicles, share the unique characteristics
of the cancer cells they come from, but are much easier to get hold
off.
A study, published in Nature Medicine , showeda test could detect
tumours in mice and human patients.
The researchers say the spheres could also be used see if drugs are working.
Cells, including cancerousones, do not exist in isolation. They
package up bits of themselves in small balls of fat which then
circulate around thebody in order to transport goods and communicate
with other cells.
Researchers are interested in the microvesicles as a way of testing
for cancer and it has already been suggested they could be used to
detect prostate cancer in urine .
Magnetic
However, they are very small and can be difficult to detect.
Nanoparticles stick to thesurface of microvesicles from a brain cancer
Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital used magnetic
nanoparticles which are designed to latch onto unique proteins in a
microvesicle from a braincancer cell. The magnetic trace of the tagged
microvesicles can then bedetected.
Tests in 24 patients known to have a brain tumour were more than 90%
accurate. Other experiments on animals showed how tumours responded to
treatment.
Prof Ralph Weissleder, from the hospital, said:"These microvesicles
were found to be remarkably reliable biomarkers.
"They are very stable andabundant and appear to be extremely sensitive
to treatment effects.
"In both animals and human patients, we wereable to monitor how the
number of cancer-relatedmicrovesicles in the bloodstream changed with
treatment.
Being able to detect and monitor cancer using blood samples is a
hugelyexciting prospect "
Josephine Querido
Cancer Research UK
"Even before an appreciable change in tumour size could be seen with
imaging, we saw fewer microvesicles. It's like they are a harbinger of
treatment response."
The team believe similar techniques could be usedfor different cancers
and other diseases.
Josephine Querido, science information manager at Cancer Research UK,
said: "This small study shows the potential of using tiny cancer
particles to detect whether patients are responding to treatmentsfor a
common form of brain cancer, but much more work is needed before this
can be used in hospitals.
"Being able to detect andmonitor cancer using blood samples is a
hugelyexciting prospect and many labs around the world, including our
own, are racing to try to bring this to the clinic."

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