A protein called CCR2 may mark the hardest type of childhood brain tumor
Original title: CCR2 is a potential biomarker and therapeutic target in Group 3 medulloblastoma
How far along is this research?
This is a preprint. Other scientists have not checked it yet, so treat it as an early signal rather than an answer.
The drug was only tested in cells and in mice.
The short version
Scientists found a protein that may help explain why one childhood brain tumor spreads.
What was studied. Researchers studied medulloblastoma, the most common brain cancer in children. They looked at gene data from 1094 tumor samples, plus tumor cells in dishes and tumors in mice.
What they found. In Group 3 tumors, high CCR2 levels went with more spread and shorter survival. CCR2 was also higher in tumors that came back or spread than in the first tumor. In mice, a drug called Cenicriviroc blocked CCR2 and worked against tumors that had already formed.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: CCR2 may one day help doctors spot the riskiest tumors early. It may also become a target for new drugs.
What it doesn't mean: This is early work. The drug part was done only in cells and in mice, not in children. It does not change care today, and it is not a promise of a cure.
Source: bioRxiv (preprint), October 13, 2026 · Read the original
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