Feasibility and safety of focused ultrasound-enabled liquid biopsy in the brain of a porcine model

Sci Rep. 2020 May 4;10(1):7449. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-64440-3.

Abstract

Although blood-based liquid biopsy is a promising noninvasive technique to acquire a comprehensive molecular tumor profile by detecting cancer-specific biomarkers (e.g. DNA, RNA, and proteins), there has been limited progress for brain tumor application partially because the low permeability of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) hinders the release of tumor biomarkers. We previously demonstrated focused ultrasound-enabled liquid biopsy (FUS-LBx) that uses FUS to increase BBB permeability in murine glioblastoma models and thus enhance the release of tumor-specific biomarkers into the bloodstream. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and safety of FUS-LBx in the normal brain tissue of a porcine model. Increased BBB permeability was confirmed by the significant increase (p = 0.0053) in Ktrans (the transfer coefficient from blood to brain extravascular extracellular space) when comparing the FUS-sonicated brain area with the contralateral non-sonicated area. Meanwhile, there was a significant increase in the blood concentrations of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP, p = 0.0074) and myelin basic protein (MBP, p = 0.0039) after FUS sonication as compared with before FUS. There was no detectable tissue damage by T2*-weighted MRI and histological analysis. Findings from this study suggest that FUS-LBx is a promising technique for noninvasive and localized diagnosis of the molecular profiles of brain diseases with the potential to translate to the clinic.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biomarkers / metabolism
  • Blood-Brain Barrier*
  • Brain / metabolism*
  • Brain / pathology*
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Feasibility Studies
  • Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / metabolism
  • Glioblastoma / metabolism
  • Liquid Biopsy / methods*
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Patient Safety
  • Permeability
  • Swine
  • Ultrasonography / methods*

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein