A gene that helps glioblastoma grow
Original title: LAMTOR5 Drives Glioblastoma Progression via Activation of the HOXC9/YTHDF2 Positive Feedback Loop.
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 in lab cells and animals, not in people.
The short version
Scientists found a gene that seems to help a brain tumor grow and spread.
What was studied. Researchers looked at glioblastoma: A glioma that is given grade 4, the highest grade. It grows fast. Treatment usually starts soon after it is found. It often means surgery, then radiation and chemotherapy. See the glossary, the most aggressive brain tumor in adults. They tested a gene called LAMTOR5 in tumor cells and in animals.
What they found. LAMTOR5 was high in glioblastoma: A glioma that is given grade 4, the highest grade. It grows fast. Treatment usually starts soon after it is found. It often means surgery, then radiation and chemotherapy. See the glossary. Higher levels went along with worse outcomes in people with 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. The gene switched on two other genes, HOXC9 and YTHDF2, and those two kept boosting each other. When the team shut off YTHDF2, the tumor cells grew and spread less.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: This points to a possible target for future drugs. It may also help explain why some of these tumors grow so fast.
What it doesn't mean: This is not a treatment you can get. The work was done in lab cells and animals, not in patients. No drug for this gene has been tested in people. It is early science, and it is not a cure.
Source: PubMed, September 8, 2026 · Read the original
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