A clue to why returning gliomas can resist radiation
Original title: EFTUD2-Regulated Alternative Splicing of MSH5 Drives Radioresistance in Recurrent IDH-Mutant Glioma.
How far along is this research?
- Lab cells
- Animals
- Review
- Tested in people
This was done in animals, not people. Most findings at this stage never become treatments.
This was only tested on lab cells and in animals, not in people.
The short version
Scientists found a protein that may help some returning brain tumors survive radiation.
What was studied. Researchers compared first tumors and returning tumors from people with IDH gene change: A small change in a tumor's IDH gene. It is the first thing your team looks at when naming an adult glioma, and it can affect which treatments are offered. Your pathology report says whether your tumor has it. See the glossary glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells, the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are given a grade from 1 to 4 describing how the tumor is expected to behave. See the glossary, a type of brain tumor. Then they tested tumor cells in the lab and in animals.
What they found. Returning tumors kept more of a protein called MSH5. This protein helps the tumor fix damage caused by radiation. Another protein, EFTUD2, was higher in returning tumors and kept MSH5 levels up. When the team blocked EFTUD2 or lowered MSH5, radiation worked better on tumor cells in dishes and in animals.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: Someday, this could lead to a treatment that helps radiation work better on gliomas that come back. It also helps explain why returning tumors can be harder to treat with radiation.
What it doesn't mean: This was done only with lab cells and animals, not with people. It is not a treatment anyone can get today. It would need a lot more testing, including in people. It is not a cure.
Source: PubMed, September 9, 2026 · Read the original
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