A protein called DJ-1 helps glioblastoma cells grow
Original title: DJ-1 regulates glioblastoma proliferation and apoptosis by modulating UBA52 mediated NF-κB signaling pathway.
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-grown cells and in mice.
The short version
Scientists found a protein that seems to help brain tumor cells grow and survive.
What was studied. Researchers looked at a protein called DJ-1 in 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, an aggressive brain tumor. They used tumor samples, public gene databases, lab-grown tumor cells, and mice.
What they found. DJ-1 levels were high in 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 tissue and in lab-grown tumor cells. Patients with higher DJ-1 levels tended to do worse. When the team turned DJ-1 down in cells, the cells grew less and more of them died. In mice, turning DJ-1 down also slowed tumor growth.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: DJ-1 may be worth testing as a target for future 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 drugs. It helps explain how these tumors keep growing.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean a new treatment is coming soon. The work was done in cells and in mice, not in people. There is no DJ-1 drug a doctor can give today. This is early lab and animal research, far from everyday care, and it is not a cure.
Source: PubMed, November 4, 2026 · Read the original
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