From Rare Tumor Cells in Cerebrospinal Fluid to Molecular Insight

Connecting rare-cell detection with downstream molecular profiling

Cerebrospinal fluid, or CSF, can provide valuable access to disease biology in central nervous system tumors and cancers involving the leptomeninges. In these settings, representative tissue can be difficult to obtain, while tumor cells present in CSF may offer an additional source of biological information.

The challenge is not simply to detect these cells. They are often extremely rare, and their value for research depends on whether they can also be recovered in a form suitable for further molecular analysis.

Moving beyond detection alone

Qtas, the Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine ITEM, and Universitätsklinikum Regensburg are developing a validation project focused on the detection and recovery of rare tumor cells from CSF.

The Qtas approach uses nanodiamond-based labeling and diamond quantum sensing to identify target cells. The project is designed to evaluate how this rare-cell technology could connect with established molecular-analysis workflows. The initial focus is expected to be compatibility with whole-genome DNA sequencing, with the potential to extend the approach to transcriptomic and proteomic analyses.

Creating a pathway to deeper characterization

Rather than treating rare-cell detection as the endpoint, this project considers it the starting point for deeper biological characterization.

Connecting cell detection and recovery with downstream molecular profiling could help researchers study tumor heterogeneity and disease biology in settings where access to representative tissue is limited.

Collaboration

The project is being developed with Fraunhofer ITEM and Universitätsklinikum Regensburg. Connect rare-cell detection with molecular analysis.