A protein that helps a childhood brain tumor grow
Original title: Adenosylhomocysteinase drives epigenetic and metabolic reprogramming in ZFTA-RELA ependymoma
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.
This was only done in tumor cells and in mice.
The short version
Scientists found a protein that one type of childhood brain tumor needs to grow.
What was studied. Researchers studied ependymoma, an aggressive brain tumor in children. These tumors are driven by a gene change called ZFTA-RELA. The work was done in tumor cells and in mice.
What they found. The tumor cells made high amounts of a protein called AHCY. AHCY changed which genes the tumor turned on and off. This pushed the tumor to build DNA parts and to pull in a nutrient called asparagine from outside the cell. When the team blocked AHCY, tumor growth slowed in cells and in mice. Blocking another protein, EZH2, also slowed tumor growth.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: This points to a possible weak spot in these tumors. If the tumor leans on AHCY to grow, a drug that blocks AHCY might one day be worth testing. For now it helps scientists know where to look next.
What it doesn't mean: This is early lab work. It was done in tumor cells and in mice, not in people. No one has shown this helps a patient. There is no treatment from this today, and it is not a cure. Work like this takes many years and may not pan out.
Source: bioRxiv (preprint), October 7, 2026 · Read the original
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