A gene called FAM122B is more active in low-grade brain tumors
Original title: FAM122B acts as an independent poor prognostic factor and promotes the malignant biological behaviors of low-grade glioma.
How far along is this research?
- Lab cells
- Animals
- Review
- Tested in people
This was done on cells in a lab, not in people. It is a very early step.
This was only done with cells in a lab dish and with data that was already collected.
The short version
Scientists found a gene that is very active in low-grade glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells, the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are graded 1 to 4 by how fast they tend to grow. See the glossary, and turning it down slowed tumor cells in a lab dish.
What was studied. Researchers pulled gene data on low-grade glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells, the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are graded 1 to 4 by how fast they tend to grow. See the glossary from large public databases. They also worked with glioma cells in the lab and used a lab tool to turn down the FAM122B gene in those cells.
What they found. FAM122B was much more active in low-grade glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells, the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are graded 1 to 4 by how fast they tend to grow. See the glossary tissue and cells than in normal brain tissue and normal brain cells. Higher levels of it went along with more aggressive tumor features and worse outcomes. When the gene was turned down in the cells, the cells grew less and moved less.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: This gene may be worth watching. It could one day help doctors judge how a low-grade glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells, the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are graded 1 to 4 by how fast they tend to grow. See the glossary is likely to behave. It could also become a target for a future drug. All of that would need years of more work first.
What it doesn't mean: This is not a treatment, and it is not a cure. The work used stored database records and cells in a dish. No person was given anything in this study. There is no evidence yet that changing this gene helps anyone live longer or feel better. This is early lab science, far from what a doctor can offer you.
Source: PubMed, July 28, 2026 · Read the original
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