A new lab compound attacks glioblastoma cells that resist chemo
Original title: Development of phenothiazine-based inhibitors towards drug-resistant glioblastoma.
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 cells grown in the lab, not in animals or people.
The short version
In lab dishes, a new compound killed brain tumor cells that no longer respond to the usual chemo drug.
What was studied. Researchers built a set of new compounds that block a protein called TTK, which helps 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 cells grow and spread. They tested the compounds on glioblastoma cells grown in dishes, including cells that had stopped responding to temozolomide: A chemotherapy taken as a capsule, used for some brain tumors. Your team checks your blood counts while you are on it. See the glossary (TMZ), a common chemo drug.
What they found. One compound, named G17b, worked best. It blocked TTK, and it slowed the growth of two kinds of 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 cells. G17b also killed TMZ-resistant cells, in the same test where temozolomide: A chemotherapy taken as a capsule, used for some brain tumors. Your team checks your blood counts while you are on it. See the glossary itself did very little. It cut the cells' ability to move, stopped them from forming new colonies, and pushed them to die.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: This points to a possible new way to go after 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 when standard chemo stops working. For now it is a starting point for more research, not a treatment a doctor can give you.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean a new drug is coming soon. The work was done only on cells in dishes. It was not tested in animals, and it was not tested in people. There is no proof yet that it is safe or that it helps anyone live longer. It is not a cure, and it is many years and many more studies away from everyday care.
Source: PubMed, August 27, 2026 · Read the original
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