Plasma proteome profiling reveals biomarker patterns associated with prognosis and therapy selection in glioblastoma multiforme patients

Purpose: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a frequent and aggressive type of primary brain tumor with a heterogeneous origin. GBM is highly therapy resistant and carries a dismal prognosis for the patient. The purpose of this discovery study was to define candidate plasma biomarker signatures for improved classification and novel means for selecting patients for refined individualized therapy. Experimental design: Here, we have for the first time investigated the applicability of large-scale recombinant antibody-based microarrays, targeting mainly immunoregulatory analytes, for sensitive and selective plasma protein profiling of GBM patients undergoing immunotherapy with autologous IFN-gamma transfected glioma cells Results: This proof-of-concept study showed that candidate plasma protein signatures associated with GBM were outlined that could be used for GBM classification, monitoring the effects of the immunotherapy as well as for stratifying patients according to the beneficial effect of the adopted immunotherapy Further, central key cytokines that could be utilized for optimization and/or refinement of the immunotherapeutic regime were indicated. Conclusions and clinical relevance: Candidate plasma proteins signatures associated with GBM was outlined, that could be used for GBM classification and for pre-operatively stratifying patients according to the beneficial effect of the adopted immunotherapy.