Researchers at Mayo Clinic have published a series of studies advancing the diagnosis and treatment of brain tumours, with developments spanning molecular classification, blood-brain barrier penetration, and immunotherapy. The findings are reported across multiple publications and reflect progress at the intersection of laboratory research and clinical application.

A central development involves DNA methylation profiling, which analyses chemical markers on tumour DNA to create a molecular profile that can identify tumour type and behaviour beyond what standard microscopy reveals. Mayo Clinic investigators contributed to an expanded version of the Heidelberg DNA methylation classifier, increasing the number of identifiable central nervous system tumour subclasses from 91 to 184, with 95% diagnostic accuracy in a single test. In a separate study of nearly 2,000 meningiomas, methylation-based models were used to estimate recurrence risk and potential benefit from post-surgical radiation, supporting more individualised treatment planning.

A dedicated study of brain tumours in adolescents and young adults (aged 15 to 39) found that this group develops a distinct mix of tumour types with unique biological patterns. Standard prediction tools, largely developed using adult data, showed reduced accuracy for younger patients but performed significantly better when adjusted with age-specific data.

For aggressive tumours such as glioblastoma, research into strategies for transiently opening the blood-brain barrier showed that targeted approaches could increase drug delivery to brain tissue by two to nearly six-fold. A complementary study found that drug distribution varied considerably within different regions of the same tumour, with imaging not reliably predicting local drug concentrations.

Source: Cordeiro B. Unlocking the brain: New research is changing how tumours are diagnosed and treated. Mayo Clinic, 18 May 2026.