A fast lab test may spot a key glioma marker during surgery
Original title: Isocitrate Dehydrogenase Mutation Assessment in Human Glioma Using Desorption Electrospray Ionization-Multiple Reaction Monitoring.
How far along is this research?
- Lab cells
- Animals
- Review
- Tested in people
This was done on cells in a lab, not in people. It is a very early step.
It was tested on tumor samples taken from people, but it is not yet used in real operations.
The short version
Researchers tested a quick way to tell if a brain tumor has an IDH gene change: A small change in a tumor's IDH gene. Tumors with this change often grow more slowly and may respond to different treatments. Your pathology report says whether your tumor has it. See the glossary, in minutes instead of days.
What was studied. Researchers used a type of mass spectrometry called DESI-MRM on 30 human brain tissue smears. They measured a chemical called 2HG, which builds up when a tumor has an IDH gene change: A small change in a tumor's IDH gene. Tumors with this change often grow more slowly and may respond to different treatments. Your pathology report says whether your tumor has it. See the glossary.
What they found. The test gave an answer in 2 minutes with one method and 7 minutes with another. Its results matched the clinical diagnosis 100% of the time. Tumors with the IDH change had 2HG levels of 88 to 1445 ng mg-1, while tumors without it had levels of only 9-15 ng mg-1.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: IDH status normally comes back after surgery is over. A test this fast could one day tell a surgeon during the operation whether tissue is tumor or normal brain. That could help a surgeon remove more tumor safely.
What it doesn't mean: This is not a treatment, and it is not a cure. It is an early lab method tested on a small set of 30 tissue samples. It has not been proven to change how patients do, and it is not part of normal surgery today. It would need much more testing before any hospital could offer it.
Source: PubMed, August 4, 2026 · Read the original
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