New Scanning Method Could Improve How Brain Tumors are Treated

Researchers from NHS Grampian and the University of Aberdeen have been granted funding to study a novel scanning method that could improve how physicians scan and treat brain tumors. The Scottish Government awarded the research team nearly $470,000 in funding to investigate new means of treating glioblastomas, an aggressive brain tumor that affects tens of thousands of Americans each year. Glioblastomas are responsible for 48% of brain tumors in the primary malignant class and are estimated to take 10,000 American lives each year. 

The Chief Scientist Office Translational Clinical Studies grant will enable the research team to generate entirely unique glioblastoma tumor images using Field Cycling Imaging (FCI), a new low-field MRI scan developed in Aberdeen. Researchers hope to use these images to develop new scanning and treatment methods that can improve the odds of surviving a glioblastoma diagnosis. 

With an average survival time of around 12 to 18 months after diagnosis, just 25% of glioblastoma patients survive after a year, while only 6.8% of patients will be alive five years after they are diagnosed with glioblastoma. 

FCI is a specialist MRI scan that builds on the full-body MRI scanner and is designed to function on low to ultra-low magnetic fields, allowing researchers to map disease progression in internal organs in an entirely new way. Like traditional MRI scans, FCI uses magnetic fields of varying strength to generate hyper-detailed images of the body. With this new type of scan, scientists can extract significantly more tissue and organ information compared to conventional MRI. 

Additionally, Field Cycling Imaging doesn’t require the injection of contrast or dyes into the body to identify tumors. Since these agents have been connected to allergic reactions and kidney damage in certain patients, eliminating them from cancer detection reduces the risks involved in the process and makes it a lot safer. Since the Aberdeen-developed FCI scanner is the only one of its kind, the study could open the door to more efficient means of brain tumor diagnosis and treatment. 

The researchers and doctors involved in the study will use FCI to scan glioblastoma patients who are currently going through chemotherapy after undergoing chemoradiotherapy and surgery to determine if the novel scanning method can differentiate between ‘pseudo-progression’ and ‘progression’. The former refers to healthy cells that look tumorous but actually aren’t, while the latter denotes actual tumor growth. If it is successful, the project and any future research it inspires could help physicians improve the effectiveness, quality, and affordability of glioblastoma treatment. 

The success of this trial would also serve as a complement to other efforts being invested by companies like CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP) aimed at developing more effective treatments for GBM and other brain cancers since disease progression monitoring helps to inform the treatment planning decisions made by clinicians. 

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 

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