A brain scan tool may help tell two glioma types apart
Original title: Nomogram combining visual imaging and radiomics analysis for distinguishing diffuse hemispheric glioma, H3 G34-mutant from adult-type diffuse high-grade gliomas.
How far along is this research?
- Lab cells
- Animals
- Review
- Tested in people
This was tested in people. That is the most reliable kind of research we share.
This looked back at scans from people, and the tool is not in use yet.
The short version
Doctors may be able to use MRI scans to spot a rare glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells. Those are the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are given a grade from 1 to 4. The grade says how the tumor is expected to act. See the glossary type before surgery.
What was studied. Researchers looked back at MRI scans from 129 people with high-grade gliomas. 50 people had a type called H3 G34: A change in a histone. A histone is a protein DNA wraps around. A diffuse glioma can have it. Then it is called a diffuse hemispheric glioma. H3 K27 is a different finding, but on the same kind of gene. See the glossary DHG. 79 had adult-type: A group of gliomas sorted by their biology. Not by the age of the person who has them. Adults usually have one of these. And children sometimes do too. Seeing it on your report is not a filing mistake. See the glossary high-grade glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells. Those are the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are given a grade from 1 to 4. The grade says how the tumor is expected to act. See the glossary. The team built a tool to tell the two apart from the scans.
What they found. Two things helped tell the groups apart. One was the person's age. The other was a scan sign called diffusion restriction, which shows how water moves inside the tumor. A tool that mixed scan features with computer analysis matched the lab results better than either part alone.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: Today, doctors need tumor tissue from surgery to know which type it is. A scan tool like this might give a good guess sooner. That could help a care team plan ahead.
What it doesn't mean: This is not a treatment, and it is not a cure. The team looked back at old scans from one group of patients. The tool was not tested on new patients as their care happened. It does not replace lab testing of tumor tissue. You cannot ask for this at a clinic today.
Source: PubMed, August 25, 2026 · Read the original
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