A gene that helps brain tumors resist chemotherapy
Original title: IGSF3 drives acquired temozolomide resistance in glioblastoma through ASNS-dependent asparagine biosynthesis.
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 lab cells and in mice.
The short version
Scientists found a gene that seems to help brain tumor cells survive a common chemo drug.
What was studied. Researchers studied glioblastoma: The fastest-growing type of glioma (grade 4). Treatment usually starts soon after diagnosis: surgery first, then radiation and chemotherapy. See the glossary, an aggressive brain cancer. They compared tumor cells that still responded to the chemo drug temozolomide with cells that had stopped responding. They checked their findings in patient tumor samples, in lab dishes, and in mice.
What they found. A gene called IGSF3 was turned up in the resistant cells, in resistant tumors in mice, and in tumors that came back. When the researchers lowered IGSF3, the cells responded to the drug again. IGSF3 worked by turning up another gene, ASNS, which helped the cells limit damage from treatment. A drug called tucatinib attached to IGSF3 and made temozolomide work better in cells and in mice.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: This gives one possible reason some brain tumors stop responding to temozolomide. It also points to a drug that might help with that problem. If the work holds up, it could someday lead to a treatment for tumors that come back.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean a new treatment is ready. The work was done in cells and in mice, not in people. It has not been tested in patients, so no one knows yet if it is safe or helpful for them. It is a long way from everyday care, and it is not a cure.
Source: PubMed, July 22, 2026 · Read the original
This plain-language summary was written by AI and published automatically after passing our automatic safety checks. How we write.