Tissue-free non-invasive diagnostic methodology for brain tumour: Present scenario and future direction

Abstract

Intracranial neoplasia is characterized by their various forms and functions including gliomas which are hard to detect properly, monitor and treat in any therapeutic regime. Present day MRI based techniques act efficiently to detect and acquire the spatial information but fall apart to gather sufficient biological attributes of the lesion to monitor and treat accordingly. In contrast, invasive biopsy is difficult within the cranium and poses a serious threat to lead metastasis. Therefore, a prominent parallel initiative has been undertaken throughout the global community to find out potential diagnostic protocols to diagnose and monitor brain tumour in a non-invasive way. Like other cancers, liquid biopsy by obtaining cellular and molecular components from the brain tumour, either from fluid-filled CNS ventricles or CSF, or leaching out into the peripheral biofluids are under constant scrutiny for finding out different molecular signatures of neoplastic growth applying innovative biomedical methodologies and instrumentations. At the same time, a new domain of research applying computer aided methods of image analysis has opened up to assist the process more potently. In this short review, we tried to show the glimpses of these newer areas and approaches of brain tumour diagnosis which may revolutionize the future of brain tumour diagnosis. Also, we hint at some potential routes to acquire biomolecular information on the brain and how higher order integration of data processing from biological and radiological fronts may be the future of these diagnostics.