New Blood Test Reveals Whether Treatment is Working for Brain Cancer Patients
Researchers have revealed a new blood test that can determine whether brain cancer therapies are being effective. The diagnostic tool could guide glioblastoma physicians on whether to maintain current drug regimens, change medications, or halt interventions altogether. Adam Sonabend, a Northwestern Medicine neurosurgeon who co-directed a study published in Nature Communications, explained that using this test, treatment effectiveness becomes apparent after a single dose instead of months of waiting.
This represents a major advancement for glioblastoma care. It could spare patients from continuing regimens that don’t work while eliminating needless adverse reactions that diminish quality of life. Glioblastoma is typically lethal and claims most victims within 24 months.
Since the tumors penetrate brain structures and make total surgical extraction incredibly difficult, only one tenth of glioblastoma patients survive five years after diagnosis. Standard anti-cancer compounds struggle to penetrate the blood-brain barrier to eliminate tumor traces left after surgery, allowing glioblastomas to grow even after treatment.
Northwestern’s Malnati Brain Tumor Institute tested the SonoCloud-9 device from Lyon-based Carthera in previous trials. Therapeutic ultrasound briefly disrupted protective barriers for about 60 minutes, permitting chemotherapy penetration into affected areas. Fresh analysis using University of Michigan diagnostics shows that temporarily compromising these barriers lets tumor material seep into circulation. This enables effectiveness monitoring via samples drawn before and after treatments.
Sunitha Nagrath, heading chemical engineering at Michigan and co-directing the investigation, described how microscopic packages called extracellular vesicles circulate in patient bloodstreams after tumor cells release them. These packages transport genetic information and protein cargo from malignancies. Isolating specifically those from malignancies rather than healthy areas presents the key difficulty researchers needed to overcome.
Michigan investigators developed capture methods targeting distinct fatty molecules abundant on package surfaces. Running plasma through their GlioExoChip device isolates cancer-specific materials, converting simple draws into informative liquid samples that reveal treatment impact in real time.
Investigators tallied these vesicles before and after each intervention, creating proportional comparisons by dividing post-treatment quantities by pre-treatment figures. Rising proportions across successive sessions indicated success while flat or falling proportions signaled failure and prompted treatment changes.
Mark Youngblood, a Northwestern neurosurgery trainee and research contributor, noted that the chip enables rapid, low-impact monitoring for a condition where traditional imaging frequently produces ambiguous information that complicates treatment decisions for clinicians.
Future work will test these methods across different glioblastoma treatments and investigate whether vesicle detection helps assess other malignancies. Federal health agencies provided primary funding for the study alongside numerous supporting organizations including cancer research foundations and military medical programs.
The eventual commercialization of this blood test could be pivotal in confirming that patients are benefiting from any novel therapies from entities like CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP) indicated for glioblastoma.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/CNSP
Strategy Inc.’s executive chairman Michael Saylor believes that quantum computing, a technology many people fear, will actually make Bitcoin stronger rather than weaker. While much of the crypto world worries that powerful quantum machines could break Bitcoin’s security, Saylor takes a very different view. According to him, Bitcoin has always evolved in response to challenges, and quantum computing will simply push the network to upgrade and improve.
Quantum computing is still in its early stages, but recent advances have sparked concern. The debate became louder after Google introduced its advanced quantum chip, which led some experts to warn that future quantum computers could crack the cryptography used to secure Bitcoin. These fears are based on the idea that quantum machines could one day break encryption methods similar to those used in the Bitcoin network.
Saylor argues that this fear misses a key point. Bitcoin is not a static system. It is a living network that can adapt when needed. If quantum computing ever becomes powerful enough to threaten current security methods, Bitcoin developers and users would respond by upgrading the network. Active Bitcoin holders would move their coins to newer, more secure addresses designed to resist quantum attacks.
At the same time, coins that are lost or inactive would remain frozen. These include older coins that have not moved for years. Saylor believes this process would actually reduce the available supply of Bitcoin. With fewer coins in circulation and stronger security, Bitcoin could become even more valuable over time.
Not everyone completely agrees with Saylor, but several experts share parts of his view. On-chain analyst Willy Woo has said that quantum computing does not pose an existential threat to Bitcoin as a whole. However, he has warned that some older Bitcoin, especially coins stored in early pay-to-public-key addresses, could be at risk if quantum technology advances far enough. These older coins include a large amount of Bitcoin from the early days of the network.
Support for Saylor’s position also comes from major investment firms. Grayscale Investments has stated that quantum computing is unlikely to affect crypto prices in the near future. Instead, the firm expects bigger changes to come from clearer regulations, growing demand for alternative stores of value, and deeper integration of blockchain technology into the traditional financial system.
Looking ahead, Grayscale believes these trends could bring new capital into the crypto market. With stronger fundamentals and increasing institutional interest, Bitcoin could reach a new all-time high in the coming period.
In the end, Saylor’s message is clear. Rather than fearing quantum computing, Bitcoin supporters should see it as another test the network can pass. If history is any guide, Bitcoin may emerge from this challenge more secure, more scarce, and ultimately stronger than before.
As firms like D-Wave Quantum Inc. (NYSE: QBTS) continue to develop their quantum computing hardware and software for commercialization, only time will tell whether this technology has a beneficial or negative effect on Bitcoin and other cryptos.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to D-Wave Quantum Inc. (NYSE: QBTS) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/QBTS
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the TinyGems website applicable to all content provided by TinyGems, wherever published or re-published: https://www.TinyGems.net/Disclaimer
Researchers have revealed a new blood test that can determine whether brain cancer therapies are being effective. The diagnostic tool could guide glioblastoma physicians on whether to maintain current drug regimens, change medications, or halt interventions altogether. Adam Sonabend, a Northwestern Medicine neurosurgeon who co-directed a study published in Nature Communications, explained that using this test, treatment effectiveness becomes apparent after a single dose instead of months of waiting.
This represents a major advancement for glioblastoma care. It could spare patients from continuing regimens that don’t work while eliminating needless adverse reactions that diminish quality of life. Glioblastoma is typically lethal and claims most victims within 24 months.
Since the tumors penetrate brain structures and make total surgical extraction incredibly difficult, only one tenth of glioblastoma patients survive five years after diagnosis. Standard anti-cancer compounds struggle to penetrate the blood-brain barrier to eliminate tumor traces left after surgery, allowing glioblastomas to grow even after treatment.
Northwestern’s Malnati Brain Tumor Institute tested the SonoCloud-9 device from Lyon-based Carthera in previous trials. Therapeutic ultrasound briefly disrupted protective barriers for about 60 minutes, permitting chemotherapy penetration into affected areas. Fresh analysis using University of Michigan diagnostics shows that temporarily compromising these barriers lets tumor material seep into circulation. This enables effectiveness monitoring via samples drawn before and after treatments.
Sunitha Nagrath, heading chemical engineering at Michigan and co-directing the investigation, described how microscopic packages called extracellular vesicles circulate in patient bloodstreams after tumor cells release them. These packages transport genetic information and protein cargo from malignancies. Isolating specifically those from malignancies rather than healthy areas presents the key difficulty researchers needed to overcome.
Michigan investigators developed capture methods targeting distinct fatty molecules abundant on package surfaces. Running plasma through their GlioExoChip device isolates cancer-specific materials, converting simple draws into informative liquid samples that reveal treatment impact in real time.
Investigators tallied these vesicles before and after each intervention, creating proportional comparisons by dividing post-treatment quantities by pre-treatment figures. Rising proportions across successive sessions indicated success while flat or falling proportions signaled failure and prompted treatment changes.
Mark Youngblood, a Northwestern neurosurgery trainee and research contributor, noted that the chip enables rapid, low-impact monitoring for a condition where traditional imaging frequently produces ambiguous information that complicates treatment decisions for clinicians.
Future work will test these methods across different glioblastoma treatments and investigate whether vesicle detection helps assess other malignancies. Federal health agencies provided primary funding for the study alongside numerous supporting organizations including cancer research foundations and military medical programs.
The eventual commercialization of this blood test could be pivotal in confirming that patients are benefiting from any novel therapies from entities like CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP) indicated for glioblastoma.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/CNSP
Strategy Inc.’s executive chairman Michael Saylor believes that quantum computing, a technology many people fear, will actually make Bitcoin stronger rather than weaker. While much of the crypto world worries that powerful quantum machines could break Bitcoin’s security, Saylor takes a very different view. According to him, Bitcoin has always evolved in response to challenges, and quantum computing will simply push the network to upgrade and improve.
Quantum computing is still in its early stages, but recent advances have sparked concern. The debate became louder after Google introduced its advanced quantum chip, which led some experts to warn that future quantum computers could crack the cryptography used to secure Bitcoin. These fears are based on the idea that quantum machines could one day break encryption methods similar to those used in the Bitcoin network.
Saylor argues that this fear misses a key point. Bitcoin is not a static system. It is a living network that can adapt when needed. If quantum computing ever becomes powerful enough to threaten current security methods, Bitcoin developers and users would respond by upgrading the network. Active Bitcoin holders would move their coins to newer, more secure addresses designed to resist quantum attacks.
At the same time, coins that are lost or inactive would remain frozen. These include older coins that have not moved for years. Saylor believes this process would actually reduce the available supply of Bitcoin. With fewer coins in circulation and stronger security, Bitcoin could become even more valuable over time.
Not everyone completely agrees with Saylor, but several experts share parts of his view. On-chain analyst Willy Woo has said that quantum computing does not pose an existential threat to Bitcoin as a whole. However, he has warned that some older Bitcoin, especially coins stored in early pay-to-public-key addresses, could be at risk if quantum technology advances far enough. These older coins include a large amount of Bitcoin from the early days of the network.
Support for Saylor’s position also comes from major investment firms. Grayscale Investments has stated that quantum computing is unlikely to affect crypto prices in the near future. Instead, the firm expects bigger changes to come from clearer regulations, growing demand for alternative stores of value, and deeper integration of blockchain technology into the traditional financial system.
Looking ahead, Grayscale believes these trends could bring new capital into the crypto market. With stronger fundamentals and increasing institutional interest, Bitcoin could reach a new all-time high in the coming period.
In the end, Saylor’s message is clear. Rather than fearing quantum computing, Bitcoin supporters should see it as another test the network can pass. If history is any guide, Bitcoin may emerge from this challenge more secure, more scarce, and ultimately stronger than before.
As firms like D-Wave Quantum Inc. (NYSE: QBTS) continue to develop their quantum computing hardware and software for commercialization, only time will tell whether this technology has a beneficial or negative effect on Bitcoin and other cryptos.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to D-Wave Quantum Inc. (NYSE: QBTS) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/QBTS
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the TinyGems website applicable to all content provided by TinyGems, wherever published or re-published: https://www.TinyGems.net/Disclaimer
