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. 2023 Jun 8;146(10):4015–4024. doi: 10.1093/brain/awad195

Table 1.

A selection of studies on liquid biopsy, listed based on order of publication, suggesting the potential use of extracellular vesicles for prognostic stratification and tumour monitoring in patients with primary and secondary CNS tumours

Reference n Population Tumour type Biological fluid Biomarker Methods Clinical application Main findings of the study
Koch et al.37 11 Adults GBM Plasma MV count Flow cytometry,
Electron microscopy		 Response assessment MV count helped to distinguish between tumour progression and pseudoprogression
Shi et al.38 70 n.r. Grade 2 astrocytoma,
Grade 2 ependymoma,
GBM		 Plasma
CSF		 miR-21 TEM, WB,
RT-PCR		 Prognosis miR-21 levels can predict PFS and OS
Evans et al.39 16 Adults GBM Plasma MV count Flow cytometry,
Cryoelectron microscopy		 Prognosis MV count can predict PFS and OS
Manda et al.46 96 Adults HGG Serum EGFRvIII BCA protein assay, TEM, flow cytometry, RT-PCR Prognosis EGFRvIII expression in EVs correlates with OS
Indira Chandran et al.44 82 Adults HGG and LGG Plasma SDC1 NTA, TEM, ProSeek multiplex proximity extension assay, ELISA Prognosis SDC1 expression in EVs correlates with OS
Osti et al.43 68 Adults GBM and other CNS tumours Plasma EVs count and size, proteomic profile NTA, TEM, mass spectrometry Response assessment EVs can assist in GBM diagnosis and monitoring
Zhong et al.40 147 Adults HGG Serum miR-29b RT-PCR Prognosis miR-29b levels correlate with OS
Batool et al.35 40 Adults HGG Plasma EGFRvIII ddPCR Response assessment EGFRvIII mutant copies assisted in response assessment
Khristov et al.41 82 Adults GBM Plasma IL13Ra2 ELISA Prognosis IL13Ra2 levels in plasma correlate with OS
Dobra et al.42 222 Adults GBM, meningiomas,
brain metastases		 Serum MMP-9 NTA, TEM, WB, LC-MS, ELISA Prognosis MMP-9 levels correlate with OS

ddPCR = digital droplet PCR; ELISA = enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; EVs = extracellular vesicles; GBM = glioblastoma; HGG = high-grade gliomas; LC-MS = liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry; LGG = low grade gliomas; MV = microvesicles; n = number of patients included; n.r. = information not reported; NTA = nanoparticle tracking analysis; OS = overall survival; PFS = progression-free survival; RT-PCR = reverse transcription PCR; TEM = transmission electron microscopy; WB = western blot.