Neuroimmunologists ID tiny protein fragments in quest for better glioblastoma detection, treatment
All cells in the human body release extracellular vesicles (EVs), tiny membrane-enclosed vesicles that deliver important cargo - including RNA, proteins, lipids and DNA - to other cells. Cancer cells, notorious for rapid growth, are prolific EV creators.
Neuroimmunology researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus studied the EVs from two types of brain cancer - glioblastoma, the deadliest brain tumor, and meningioma, a more common benign central nervous system tumor that has significant recurrence rates. In a recent study published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, they identified peptides that bind to specific subpopulations of EVs from glioblastoma tumors.
