A gene tied to glioblastoma does not predict survival
Original title: TMEM164 mRNA in Adult Glioblastoma: Multicohort Overexpression and RIPK1 Co-Expression Without Prognostic Replication.
How far along is this research?
- Lab cells
- Animals
- Review
- Tested in people
This was tested in people. That is the most reliable kind of research we share.
This was a look back at data from past patients, and no treatment was tested.
The short version
A gene that looked promising in lab work did not predict how long people lived.
What was studied. Researchers reused tumor data already collected from people with glioblastoma: A glioma that is given grade 4. Grade 4 is the highest grade there is. The tumor grows fast. Treatment usually starts soon after it is found. It often means surgery, and then radiation and chemotherapy. See the glossary. They checked four public data sets: 153 people, 104 people, 73 people, and 104 matched pairs of first and returning tumors.
What they found. The gene was more active in tumor tissue than in brain tissue without a tumor. It was also active alongside a gene called RIPK1, ranking 43rd of 19,985 genes. But its activity did not match how long people lived in any of the groups.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: Right now, this gene's activity level tells you nothing about your outlook. It is not a test to ask your doctor for. The authors say the idea should be tested on the protein itself, not the gene.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean the gene is useless or that the earlier lab work was wrong. It also does not change your care today. This was a look back at old data, not a trial of any treatment. There is no new drug here, and nothing here is a cure or a promise of one.
Source: PubMed, September 29, 2026 · Read the original
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