A molecule from tumor blood vessels may help brain tumors block the immune system
Original title: Hypoxic Endothelial-Cell-Derived Exosomal lnc-DKK3 Reprograms Tumor-Associated Macrophages via USP47/PD-L1/RelA Axis to Promote Glioma Progression.
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
In lab work, a molecule from tumor blood vessels seemed to turn immune cells against the patient.
What was studied. Researchers studied 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, a type of brain tumor. They looked at what blood vessel cells release when oxygen is low, and how that changes immune cells called macrophages.
What they found. Blood vessel cells short on oxygen released tiny packages holding a molecule called lnc-DKK3. In immune cells, that molecule raised a protein called PD-L1, which turns the immune response down. The immune cells then shifted into a state that helped the tumor grow instead of fighting it.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: Low oxygen inside a tumor may be one way 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 hides from the immune system. The team also built a tool to switch this molecule off in immune cells, and in lab models it made an immune drug work better. This points to a possible target, not a treatment a patient can get.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean there is a new treatment. The work was done in cells and in animal models, not in people. It is not a cure and it is not close to everyday care. Many years of testing in people would be needed first, and most findings at this stage never become treatments.
Source: PubMed, September 14, 2026 · Read the original
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