Fig. 4: Schematic representation of a proposed diagnostic pipeline utilizing circulating microRNAs for pediatric glioma detection and classification.
From: Circulating miRNAs as potential liquid biomarkers for pediatric gliomas
The figure illustrates a conceptual workflow wherein microRNAs are released from brain cells into the bloodstream. Blood samples are collected into standard tubes and processed for RNA extraction. The relative expression levels of five selected miRNA are measured and classified, according to cut off values, into five categories: very low, low, medium, high, or very high. The cut-off, envisioned by colors, is yet to be established through future large-cohort studies. Based on miRNA expression profiles, patients can be stratified into diagnostic categories, including no tumor, low-grade glioma (LGG), specific LGG subtypes (such as LGG with FGFR alterations), high-grade gliomas (HGG), or total gliomas for inclusion of all types. This future approach may assist in non-invasively diagnosing gliomas, monitoring tumor progression, evaluating treatment responses, detecting relapse, and guiding therapeutic decision-making, particularly in cases where brain biopsy is high-risk or infeasible.
