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Evaluation of Biomarkers in Glioma by Immunohistochemistry on Paraffin-Embedded 3D Glioma Neurosphere Cultures
Published on: January 9, 2019
Personalized medicine for gliomas
Chibawanye I Ene1, Eric C Holland2
1Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.
Abstract:
Personalized medicine for cancer entails tailoring therapy for each patient based on unique features of the patient's tumor; physiologic, molecular, genetic and epigenetic. Our ability to molecularly characterize tumor cells has increased dramatically and shown that there are significant differences between samples from patients with the same tumor type. Given this extensive variability in mutations and pathways driving tumors in patients, seeking a single bullet is an unrealistic approach for achieving a cure. In glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most common adult brain tumor, this inter-tumoral heterogeneity is further complicated by intra-tumoral heterogeneity within the tumor. This suggests that for personalized therapy to work for GBMs, pharmacologic agents would not only be tailored to target the differences from patient to patient but also the clonal diversity within each patient's tumor. In this review, we provide a historical perspective on clinical trials for cancer. We also discuss the current state of molecular biology and immunology based strategies for personalized therapies for glioblastoma multiforme.
Insights
Personalized medicine tailors cancer treatment to individual tumors. For glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), therapies must address both patient-specific and within-tumor variations for effective treatment.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Genomics
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Personalized medicine revolutionizes cancer care by tailoring treatments to individual patient tumor characteristics.
- Molecular characterization reveals significant tumor variability, making a one-size-fits-all approach to cancer cure unrealistic.
- Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) presents complex challenges due to both inter-tumoral and intra-tumoral heterogeneity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the historical progression of cancer clinical trials.
- To discuss current personalized therapy strategies for glioblastoma multiforme.
- To highlight the importance of addressing tumor heterogeneity in personalized cancer treatment.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of historical cancer clinical trials.
- Analysis of current molecular biology and immunology-based personalized therapy strategies.
- Examination of glioblastoma multiforme tumor heterogeneity.
Main Results:
- Cancer treatment has evolved from broad approaches to highly individualized strategies.
- Molecular and immunological approaches offer promising avenues for personalized glioblastoma treatment.
- Addressing both patient-specific and intra-tumor clonal diversity is crucial for GBM therapy.
Conclusions:
- Personalized medicine is essential for effective cancer treatment, especially for heterogeneous tumors like GBM.
- Future glioblastoma therapies must integrate molecular and immunological insights to combat tumor diversity.
- Tailoring treatments to individual tumor profiles and clonal variations represents the future of oncology.
