Bay Biosciences provides brain cancer glioblastoma (GBM) FFPE tissue samples with matching serum (sera) and plasma samples.

Glioblastoma Overview

Moreover, glioblastomas are considered dangerous due to their aggressive nature and difficulty in removal. In addition, they invade the surrounding brain tissue rapidly.

Unfortunately, in most cases, the exact cause remains unknown. Consequently, imaging tests and biopsies are used by doctors to reach a diagnosis.

Furthermore, at present, there is no cure for glioblastoma. Instead, treatment aims at slowing down cancer growth and enhancing the individual’s quality of life.

What is Glioblastoma?

Glioblastoma, also called glioblastoma multiforme, is recognized as a highly aggressive type of brain cancer.

Specifically, glioblastoma attacks certain cells in the brain known as astrocytes. Thus, these cells, in turn, play a crucial role in supporting nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.

Moreover, glioblastoma may contain different cell types; additionally, it may include areas of dead and decaying cells.

Notably, Grade IV tumors are classified as glioblastomas, signifying rapid and aggressive reproduction. Consequently, rapid growth occurs as they form their own new blood vessels to enhance their blood supply. Moreover, glioblastomas infiltrate and invade other cells in the brain.

Although the cerebral hemispheres in the brain are where they are most commonly found, they may, nevertheless, occur anywhere in this organ. Ultimately, it is very rare for glioblastomas to spread outside the brain.

Types of Glioblastoma

Glioblastomas may be classified as either primary or secondary tumors.

Firstly, the most common types are primary or de novo glioblastomas, indicating that they originate as grade IV tumors without preceding indications of grade I–III tumors in the vicinity.

Furthermore,  research from 2015  indicates that glioblastoma multiforme constitutes more than half of all primary malignant gliomas, which are tumors that arise from glial cells.

Additionally, de novo tumors tend to demonstrate greater aggressiveness and typically affect older individuals; however, glioblastomas can manifest in anyone.

On the other hand, secondary glioblastomas develop from lower grade tumors. Ultimately, these tumors may change over time, becoming more aggressive as they progress.

Causes of Glioblastoma

In most cases, the underlying cause of glioblastomas is not known by doctors.

Furthermore, the determination of risk factors for glioblastoma is also difficult. For instance, a correlation between past exposure of the head or neck to radiation and glioblastoma appears to exist in some cases.

Additionally, in some cases hereditary conditions have also been associated by experts with an increased risk of glioblastoma. Specifically, these conditions include neurofibromatosis type 1, Li-Fraumeni syndrome, and Turcot syndrome.

Ultimately, anyone may develop the tumors, but they are slightly more common in males and older individuals. In fact, the average age for a glioblastoma diagnosis is 64 years.

Symptoms of Glioblastoma

Glioblastomas are very aggressive, leading to rapid development of symptoms as the tumor grows and causes brain swelling.

Symptoms that can arise from swelling and increased pressure in the brain include:

Depending on the tumor’s location within the brain, other symptoms may be experienced.

Diagnosis of Glioblastoma

Several tools can be used by a doctor to diagnose a glioblastoma, including:

  • A biopsy
  • A neurological exam
  • Imaging tests
  • Molecular testing

First, during the neurological exam, questions will be asked by the doctor about symptoms, such as issues affecting balance, strength, and muscle coordination. Additionally, symptoms relating to the senses, including hearing or vision problems, may also be inquired about.

Furthermore, imaging tests, such as MRI scans, can help determine both the size and location of the tumor.

Moreover, a biopsy may be performed by doctors prior to surgery to remove and test a bit of the tumor. This process can help determine how aggressive the cancer is and the types of cells that are affected.

Finally, details on the specific mutations in the cancer cells may also be provided by other specialized tests, which may affect a person’s treatment and outlook.

Treatment of Glioblastoma

Treating brain cancers can be challenging, partly because the body’s blood-brain barrier separates the blood from the brain. This barrier serves as a security system in most cases. Thus, it prevents infectious germs and other harmful compounds in the blood from reaching the brain.

However, it also makes delivering cancer treatments to the brain very difficult. Drugs that are very small or can attach to specific cells in the blood can, however, pass through the barrier.

Moreover, treating glioblastomas is especially challenging. The tumor spreads out in a tentacle-like fashion, which makes it difficult to remove the entire growth. Furthermore, some malignant cells have a similar appearance to healthy cells.

Consequently, even after all visible tumor is removed, tiny portions may remain and begin to grow again after surgery.

Biospecimens

biospecimens

Bay Biosciences is a global leader in providing researchers with high quality, clinical grade, fully characterized human tissue samples, bio-specimens, and human bio-fluid collections.

Human biospecimens are available including cancer (tumor) tissue, cancer serum, cancer plasma, cancer peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). and human tissue samples from most other therapeutic areas and diseases.

Bay Biosciences maintains and manages its own biorepository, the human tissue bank (biobank) consisting of thousands of diseased samples (specimens) and from normal healthy donors for controls, available in all formats and types.

In fact, our biobank procures and stores fully consented, de-identified and institutional review boards (IRB) approved human tissue samples, human biofluids such as serum samples, plasma samples from various diseases and matched controls.

Also, all our human tissue collections, human biospecimens and human biofluids are provided with detailed, samples associated patient’s clinical data.

In fact, this critical patient’s clinical data includes information relating to their past and current disease, treatment history, lifestyle choices, biomarkers, and genetic information.

Additionally, researchers find the patient’s data associated with the human biospecimens extremely valuable and use it to help identify new effective treatments (drug discovery & development) in oncology, as well as in other therapeutic areas and diseases.

Bay Biosciences banks wide variety of human tissue samples and human biological samples, including fresh frozen human biospecimens cryogenically preserved at – 80°C.

For example fresh frozen tissue samples, tumor tissue samples, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE), tissue slides, with matching human bio-fluids, whole blood and blood-derived products such as human serum, human plasma and human PBMCs.

Bay Biosciences is a global leader in collecting and providing human tissue samples according to the specified requirements and customized, tailor-made collection protocols.

Please contact us anytime to discuss your special research projects and customized human tissue sample requirements.

Types of Biospecimens

Bay Biosciences provides human tissue samples (human specimens) and human biofluids from diseased and normal healthy donors which includes:

Moreover, we can also procure most human biospecimens and human biofluids, special collections and requests for human samples that are difficult to find. All our human tissue samples and human biofluids are procured through IRB-approved clinical protocols and procedures.

In addition to the standard processing protocols, Bay Biosciences can also provide human biofluids such as  human plasma, human serum, and human PBMCs bio-fluid samples using custom processing protocols; you buy donor-specific collections in higher volumes and specified sample aliquots from us.

Bay Biosciences also provides human biospecimens from normal healthy donors; volunteers, for controls and clinical research, Contact us Now.