Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 13, 2026
Characterization of Immune Cell-derived Extracellular Vesicles and Studying Functional Impact on Cell Environment
Published on: June 2, 2020
Extracellular vesicles as liquid biopsy tools for personalized therapeutic goals in glioblastoma
Camille Menaceur Vandenbroucke1, Kavitha Unnikrishnan2,3, Michael Itak Ita4
1Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus C 8000, Denmark.
Abstract:
Although there has been a considerable increase in the understanding of glioblastoma and investigations into the therapeutic utility of several novel putative active compounds, the prognosis of glioblastoma patients remains dismal. This paradox makes glioblastoma a unique disease, in which the availability of key molecular and biological insight does not translate into therapeutic discovery or improved outcomes. Much of the challenge in glioblastoma treatment is attributable to a dearth of tools capable of accurately selecting patients who might benefit from current standard-of-care or targeted therapies. Moreover, the lack of reliable circulating biomarkers also delays treatment initiation and hampers evaluation of the therapeutic response. However, the emergence of a personalized medicine paradigm using extracellular vesicles has the potential to revolutionize cancer treatment, bringing renewed hope for patients with glioblastoma. In this review, we provide a brief overview of the current standard-of-care therapies, immunotherapeutic approaches and their clinical limitations. We then introduce the need for a personalized model and discuss the conceptual underpinnings of how extracellular vesicle cargo as a superior liquid biopsy tool can be used for a new personalized therapeutic approach in glioblastoma.
Insights
Glioblastoma treatment faces challenges due to poor patient selection and lack of biomarkers. Extracellular vesicles offer a promising personalized medicine approach for glioblastoma liquid biopsies and improved patient outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Biotechnology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Glioblastoma (GBM) prognosis remains poor despite advances in understanding the disease.
- Current therapeutic strategies and targeted treatments for GBM lack effective patient selection tools.
- The absence of reliable circulating biomarkers impedes timely treatment initiation and response assessment in GBM patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the limitations of current glioblastoma (GBM) standard-of-care and immunotherapies.
- To highlight the need for a personalized medicine approach in GBM treatment.
- To explore the potential of extracellular vesicles (EVs) as liquid biopsy tools for personalized GBM therapy.
Main Methods:
- Review of current glioblastoma (GBM) treatment modalities, including standard-of-care and immunotherapy.
- Discussion of the challenges in patient stratification and biomarker development for GBM.
- Conceptual exploration of extracellular vesicle (EV) cargo analysis for personalized GBM treatment.
Main Results:
- Current GBM treatments are hampered by the lack of predictive biomarkers and patient selection tools.
- Extracellular vesicles (EVs) show potential as advanced liquid biopsy tools.
- EV cargo analysis can facilitate personalized therapeutic strategies for glioblastoma.
Conclusions:
- Personalized medicine approaches are crucial for improving glioblastoma (GBM) outcomes.
- Extracellular vesicles (EVs) represent a promising avenue for developing superior liquid biopsies in GBM.
- Utilizing EV cargo can enable tailored therapeutic strategies, offering new hope for GBM patients.
