A protein that helps glioblastoma cells make energy
Original title: SQOR regulates H2S detoxification and lipid metabolism to maintain glioblastoma metabolic fitness.
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 mice.
The short version
Blocking one protein slowed brain tumor growth in mice.
What was studied. Researchers looked at a protein called SQOR 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. They used human tumor cells grown in the lab and tumors in mice.
What they found. SQOR was found at high levels in human 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. It helps the tumor cells keep making energy when they are under stress. When the team blocked SQOR, a gas called hydrogen sulfide built up inside the cells. The cells could no longer make energy well. Blocking SQOR slowed tumor growth in mice, and the mice lived longer.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: SQOR may be a target worth testing 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 gives researchers a new idea to follow.
What it doesn't mean: This is early lab and animal work. No people were treated in this study. There is no SQOR drug a doctor can give you today. This is not a cure, and it may take many years before it is even tried in people.
Source: PubMed, September 28, 2026 · Read the original
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