A protein called USP53 may help glioblastoma grow
Original title: USP53-ALKBH5 axis inhibition boosts m6A-modified TERT RNA degradation: A potential therapeutic strategy for glioblastoma.
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 cells and in mice.
The short version
Lab and mouse tests point to a possible new target in glioblastoma: The fastest-growing type of glioma (grade 4). Treatment usually starts soon after diagnosis: surgery first, then radiation and chemotherapy. See the glossary, but this work is early.
What was studied. Scientists compared 163 glioblastoma: The fastest-growing type of glioma (grade 4). Treatment usually starts soon after diagnosis: surgery first, then radiation and chemotherapy. See the glossary tissue samples with 207 normal brain samples in public databases. They then tested two glioblastoma cell lines in the lab and grew tumors in mice.
What they found. USP53 levels were higher in glioblastoma: The fastest-growing type of glioma (grade 4). Treatment usually starts soon after diagnosis: surgery first, then radiation and chemotherapy. See the glossary tissue than in normal brain tissue. People with high USP53 levels did worse than people with low levels. When the team lowered USP53, the cancer cells grew less and more of them died, and tumor growth in mice slowed.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: This points to a possible new target for future glioblastoma: The fastest-growing type of glioma (grade 4). Treatment usually starts soon after diagnosis: surgery first, then radiation and chemotherapy. See the glossary drugs. It helps explain how these tumors may keep growing. It does not change care that patients get today.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean a new treatment is ready or close. The work was done in cells in a dish and in mice, not in people being treated. No drug for this target has been tested in patients. It is not a promise of a cure, and it is a long way from everyday care.
Source: PubMed, August 15, 2026 · Read the original
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