scRNA-seq coupled with scBCR-seq effectively enumerates CTCs from the PB of sufferers with MGUS/SMM/MM and captures prognostically related variations in tumor burden. Credit score: Nature Most cancers (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s43018-025-01006-0
Researchers at Dana-Farber Most cancers Institute have developed a blood check that would rework the analysis and monitoring of a number of myeloma (MM) and its precursor situations. The brand new methodology, generally known as SWIFT-seq, makes use of single-cell sequencing to profile circulating tumor cells (CTCs) within the blood, providing a non-invasive various to conventional bone marrow biopsies.
The examine was revealed in Nature Most cancers.
“A lot of work has gone into the identification of genomic and transcriptomic features that predict worse outcome in MM, but we are still lacking the tests to measure them in our patients, said senior author, Dr. Irene M. Ghobrial. “As a clinician, that is the kind of next-generation check that I’d need to order for my sufferers.”
A number of myeloma is a difficult bone marrow most cancers, typically preceded by situations comparable to Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance (MGUS) and Smoldering A number of Myeloma (SMM). Historically, bone marrow biopsies have been used to evaluate threat and monitor genetic modifications in these situations. Nonetheless, these biopsies are painful, rare, and the accompanying approach, Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), typically fails to offer clear outcomes, resulting in much less efficient threat evaluation and influencing therapy choices.
“It would be amazing if we had a blood-based test that can outperform FISH and that works in the majority of patients—we think SWIFT-seq may just be that test,” mentioned Dr. Romanos Sklavenitis-Pistofidis, co-first writer.
SWIFT-seq gives an modern various by permitting docs to carry out threat assessments and genetic monitoring utilizing a easy blood check, making the method a lot simpler and extra dependable. Past counting CTCs, SWIFT-seq supplies an in depth genetic profile, figuring out key genetic modifications essential for understanding the illness. This methodology surpasses the accuracy of bone marrow exams like FISH. Moreover, SWIFT-seq evaluates tumor progress charges and identifies essential gene patterns that may predict affected person outcomes, all from a single blood pattern.
“SWIFT-seq is a powerful option as it can measure the number of CTCs, characterize the genomic alterations of the tumor, estimate the tumor’s proliferative capacity and measure prognostically useful gene signatures in a single test and from a blood sample,” mentioned Ghobrial.
The examine concerned 101 sufferers and wholesome donors, demonstrating that SWIFT-seq efficiently captured CTCs in 90% of sufferers with MGUS, SMM, and MM. Notably, it recognized CTCs in 95% of sufferers with SMM and 94% of sufferers with newly recognized MM, the teams probably to profit from improved threat stratification and genomic surveillance. SWIFT-seq’s skill to enumerate CTCs primarily based on the tumor’s molecular barcode, fairly than counting on cell floor markers, units it other than present strategies like move cytometry.
SWIFT-seq not solely measures a number of clinically related options immediately from a blood pattern but additionally supplies novel insights into the biology of tumor cell circulation.
“We identified a gene signature that we believe captures the tumor’s circulatory capacity and may partly explain some of the unexplained mysteries of myeloma biology,” mentioned Dr. Elizabeth D. Lightbody, co-first writer. “This can have a tremendous impact in how we think about curtailing tumor spread in patients with myeloma and could lead to the development of new drugs for patients.”
The introduction of SWIFT-seq marks a big development in myeloma diagnostics, providing a minimally invasive methodology to acquire a number of layers of clinically helpful data from a single blood check. This breakthrough may result in improved affected person outcomes and a deeper understanding of myeloma biology.
Extra data:
Lightbody, E.D. et al. SWIFT-seq permits complete single-cell transcriptomic profiling of circulating tumor cells in a number of myeloma and its precursors, Nature Most cancers (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s43018-025-01006-0 www.nature.com/articles/s43018-025-01006-0
Offered by
Dana-Farber Most cancers Institute
Quotation:
Blood check for a number of myeloma gives various to bone marrow biopsies (2025, August 8)
retrieved 9 August 2025
from https://medicalxpress.com/information/2025-08-blood-multiple-myeloma-alternative-bone.html
This doc is topic to copyright. Other than any honest dealing for the aim of personal examine or analysis, no
half could also be reproduced with out the written permission. The content material is offered for data functions solely.
