A new lab test looks closely at immune cells in the blood
Original title: Comprehensive immune profiling of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells using two complementary spectral flow cytometry panels encompassing 60 unique markers.
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.
This is a new lab method for studying blood, not a treatment for patients.
The short version
Scientists built a detailed blood test to study immune cells, and it is a research tool, not a treatment.
What was studied. Researchers made a lab method that uses two sets of tests with 60 unique markers. They used it on blood from healthy people and from people with glioblastoma: A glioma that is given grade 4, the highest grade. It grows fast. Treatment usually starts soon after it is found. It often means surgery, then radiation and chemotherapy. See the glossary, a type of brain tumor, and other illnesses.
What they found. The method could sort immune cells into more than 50 distinct groups. It could also show if these cells were active or worn out. It worked with blood from healthy donors and from patients with glioblastoma: A glioma that is given grade 4, the highest grade. It grows fast. Treatment usually starts soon after it is found. It often means surgery, then radiation and chemotherapy. See the glossary, bowel disease, and COVID-19.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: This tool may help scientists learn how the immune system changes in people with brain tumors. Over time, that could help them find signs that show how a disease is going.
What it doesn't mean: This is not a treatment, and it is not a cure. It is a lab tool for research. It does not change care for brain tumor patients today. It may take many years before anything from this reaches a doctor's office.
Source: PubMed, September 1, 2026 · Read the original
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