A protein may help brain tumors resist radiation
Original title: SON-mediated circular RNA suppression promotes PKR signaling and radiation resistance in 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 in lab cells, not in people.
The short version
In lab tests, lowering one protein made tumor cells easier to kill with radiation.
What was studied. Scientists worked with 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 in the lab. They looked at a protein called SON and at small ring shaped pieces of RNA.
What they found. The tumor cells had high levels of SON and few RNA rings. When the team lowered SON, the rings went back up. Adding two of these rings back made radiation resistant cells less able to survive radiation, with little effect on the other tumor cells.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: This points to a possible new way to make radiation work better in some brain tumors. Doctors cannot do this today. For now it is a clue for future research.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean a new treatment is coming soon. The work was done only in cells in a lab dish. No people were treated, so we do not know if it is safe or helpful for patients. It is not a cure, and it is a long way from everyday care.
Source: PubMed, September 29, 2026 · Read the original
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