A gene called TIMELESS may help brain tumors grow
Original title: TIMELESS promotes glioma stemness and malignancy through JAK-STAT3 pathway.
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 done in mice and in cells in a lab.
The short version
In mice, shutting off a gene called TIMELESS slowed brain tumors down.
What was studied. Scientists looked at a gene called TIMELESS in 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, a type of brain tumor. They tested it in mice with brain tumors and in human brain tumor cells in the lab.
What they found. TIMELESS was more active in more advanced gliomas, and that was linked to worse outcomes. In mice, turning off the gene made tumors less aggressive and helped those mice live longer. The same effect on tumor cell signals showed up in human brain tumor cells in the lab.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: This points to a possible new target for future brain tumor drugs. Right now it is a clue for researchers, not something a doctor can offer.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean there is a new treatment. The work was done in mice and in cells in a dish, not in people. No drug for this gene exists. This is early lab science, and it is far from everyday care. It is not a cure or a promise of one.
Source: PubMed, August 13, 2026 · Read the original
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