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Azad TD, Ran KR, Liu J, Vattipally VN, Khela H, Leite E, Materi JD, Davidar AD, Bettegowda C, Theodore N. A future blood test for acute traumatic spinal cord injury. Biomarkers 2023; 28:703-713. [PMID: 38126897 DOI: 10.1080/1354750x.2023.2298650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Acute spinal cord injury (SCI) requires prompt diagnosis and intervention to minimize the risk of permanent neurologic deficit. Presently, SCI diagnosis and interventional planning rely on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which is not always available or feasible for severely injured patients. Detection of disease-specific biomarkers in biofluids via liquid biopsy may provide a more accessible and objective means of evaluating patients with suspected SCI. Cell-free DNA, which has been used for diagnosing and monitoring oncologic disease, may detect damage to spinal cord neurons via tissue-specific methylation patterns. Other types of biomarkers, including proteins and RNA species, have also been found to reflect neuronal injury and may be included as part of a multi-analyte assay to improve liquid biopsy performance. The feasibility of implementing liquid biopsy into current practices of SCI management is supported by the relative ease of blood sample collection as well as recent advancements in droplet digital polymerase chain reaction technology. In this review, we detail the current landscape of biofluid biomarkers for acute SCI and propose a framework for the incorporation of a putative blood test into the clinical management of SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tej D Azad
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kathleen R Ran
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jiaqi Liu
- Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - Harmon Khela
- Department of Neurosurgery, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Enzo Leite
- Faculdade Pernambucana de Saúde (FPS), Recife, PE, Brazil
| | - Joshua D Materi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - A Daniel Davidar
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Chetan Bettegowda
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Nicholas Theodore
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, USA
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