A protein called CD36 may help lung cancer spread to the brain lining
Original title: FUS inactivation promotes leptomeningeal metastasis of lung cancer through the up-regulation of CD36.
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 done in cells and mice, not as a treatment in people.
The short version
In cells and mice, blocking a protein called CD36 slowed lung cancer from spreading to the lining around the brain.
What was studied. Scientists tested human lung cancer cells and mice. They used gene screens to find what drives cancer to spread to the lining of the brain and spinal cord. They also looked at people with lung cancer.
What they found. Turning off a gene called FUS made lung cancer cells spread to that lining more. Those cells made more CD36, took in more fat for fuel, and broke through blood vessel walls. Blocking CD36 slowed the spread and helped mice live longer.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: CD36 may be a target for future drugs that slow this kind of spread. In people with lung cancer, low FUS or high CD36 was linked to it. None of this changes care today.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean a new treatment is ready. The work was done in cells and in mice. It is not a cure, and it is not a promise. Any drug based on this would need years of testing in people first.
Source: PubMed, August 26, 2026 · Read the original
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