A lab study looks at aging cells in pituitary tumors and a drug that kills them
Original title: Analysis of senescence in pituitary tumors from different lineages and the potential role of senolytic drugs as targeted therapies.
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 on tumor cells grown in the lab, not in people.
The short version
In the lab, a drug called dasatinib killed cells taken from pituitary tumors.
What was studied. Researchers studied pituitary tumors, which are the second most common tumor inside the skull. They looked at the genes turned on in different types of these tumors. They also grew tumor cells in the lab and treated them with a drug called dasatinib.
What they found. Every tumor was mixed inside. Each one had between three and ten different groups of cells. Two main groups showed up no matter the tumor type. One group had a lot of worn out cells that had stopped dividing. The other group had few of them. Most cells were fully developed and not dividing. When dasatinib was added to tumor cells in the lab, more cells died as the dose went up. The dying cells showed signs of shutting down.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: This is early lab work. It suggests dasatinib might be worth testing for pituitary tumors that keep growing after other treatment. Researchers would need to study it in people first.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean there is a new treatment. The drug was only tested on tumor cells grown in a dish, not in patients. Nobody was treated in this study. It is not known if it helps people, and it is not a cure. Work like this is many years and many studies away from everyday care.
Source: PubMed, July 15, 2026 · Read the original
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