We develop a method, named CARVE, paired analysis of Cancer ARterial-VEnous metabolome, that is based on the prediction that gliomas consume metabolites from the arterial blood in appreciable quantities, and that these metabolites are present at significantly lower concentrations in venous blood downstream of the glioma. Conversely, metabolites produced and secreted by gliomas accumulate in venous blood downstream of the glioma relative to the arterial supply. Through the comparison of plasma metabolomes between the arterial supply and venous drainage, we exclude the interpatient variation and characterized multiple metabolites that are consumed and produced by gliomas in vivo from patients.

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This strategy greatly increases the chance of identifying metabolites consumed or produced by gliomas, which are impossible to detect in blood samples from the dorsal pedal vein or cubital vein, where blood samples have traditionally been collected for metabolomic analysis.

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It has encouraged us to use a similar strategy to perform metabolomic analysis of other cancers in patients or animal models. More follow-up experiments need to be performed in the future.