A gene that may help brain tumors grow
Original title: SLC16A13 Promotes Malignant Progression in Glioma via Metabolic Reprogramming and Disruption of Monocarboxylate Homeostasis.
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 in mice.
The short version
Scientists found a gene that seems to help brain tumor cells grow and spread.
What was studied. Researchers studied a gene called SLC16A13 in glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells. Those are the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are given a grade from 1 to 4. The grade says how the tumor is expected to act. See the glossary, a common brain tumor. They checked it in tumor samples, then lowered it in lab-grown glioma cells and in tumors in mice.
What they found. The gene was more active in tumor tissue than in tissue without tumor. High activity went with a higher tumor grade and a shorter time of survival. When the gene was turned down, the cells grew less and moved less, and more of them died. Tumors in mice also grew more slowly.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: This gene may be a target for new brain tumor drugs some day. It may also help doctors judge how a tumor is likely to act. It does not change care you can get right now.
What it doesn't mean: This is early lab work. There is no drug that targets this gene. The tests were done in cells in a dish and in mice, not in people. It is not a cure and not a treatment you can ask for today.
Source: PubMed, October 24, 2026 · Read the original
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