| Project title | Circulating MicroRNA as a Biomarker in Brain Cancer |
|---|---|
Grant Amount | $199,724 |
Institution | University of Melbourne |
Investigator Team | Principal investigator Dr. Andrew Morokoff |
Grant Type | 2014 Innovation Grant |
Years | 2014 – 2017 |
Currently, there is no accurate available biomarker for glioma; treatment decisions are based on a “rough guide” of traditional pathological grading and contrast enhanced MRI. A sensitive and specific biomarker is needed in order to improve diagnosis, prognosis and treatment decision making.
Micro RNAs (miRNAs) are small nucleotide fragments that are specific to brain cancer and can be detected in the serum and tumour tissue. Dr. Morokoff aims to use the large biobank of brain tumour tissue and blood samples at University of Melbourne to screen and validate a panel of miRNAs as a clinically useful biomarker for brain cancer, which has the potential to more accurately predict disease progression through a simple blood test.
“The discovery of a circulating, or blood-based biomarker for brain cancer would be an enormous advance for people living with this disease. The practical advantages of a blood test mean that it can be done more easily, more often, more conveniently and more cheaply than our current methods of diagnosing and following brain tumours.”