A lung cancer drug shrank brain tumors in mice
Original title: Dual-targeting pharmacological UFMylation inhibition reprograms tumor and immune microenvironments to achieve long-term glioblastoma regression.
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, not in people.
The short version
Scientists found that a drug called Osimertinib wiped out brain tumors in most of the mice they treated.
What was studied. Researchers looked for drugs that block a cell process called UFMylation, which helps cells handle stress. They tested two compounds, Osimertinib and a new one called CP-24, on glioblastoma: The fastest-growing type of glioma (grade 4). Treatment usually starts soon after diagnosis: surgery first, then radiation and chemotherapy. See the glossary cells and in mice.
What they found. Both compounds blocked the process and lowered how well the tumor cells survived. They also made the tumor cells more open to Temozolomide and radiation. In mice with a working immune system, Osimertinib left 65% of them tumor-free, and those mice fought off the tumor again when it was given back to them.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: This points to a new way to attack glioblastoma: The fastest-growing type of glioma (grade 4). Treatment usually starts soon after diagnosis: surgery first, then radiation and chemotherapy. See the glossary. Osimertinib is already a drug used for another cancer, so researchers may be able to test it in people sooner than a brand new drug. Nothing here shows it works in people with brain tumors yet.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean there is a new treatment for you. The work was done in cells and in mice, not in people. Many things that clear tumors in mice do not work the same way in humans. This is early lab research, and it is not a promise of a cure. Do not ask for this drug for a brain tumor based on this study. Talk to your own care team before changing anything.
Source: PubMed, July 20, 2026 · Read the original
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