A rare gene change may help some brain tumors grow fast
Original title: Perineuronal net degradation in aggressive glioblastomas with KANK1::NTRK2 fusions.
How far along is this research?
- Lab cells
- Animals
- Review
- Tested in people
This was tested in people. That is the most reliable kind of research we share.
This is an early idea from lab tests on tumors from two people.
The short version
Doctors studied two people whose brain tumors had a rare gene change and grew very fast.
What was studied. Doctors looked back at people treated for glioblastoma: A glioma that is given grade 4, the highest grade. It grows fast. Treatment usually starts soon after it is found. It often means surgery, then radiation and chemotherapy. See the glossary at one hospital from 2020 to 2025. They looked for tumors with a rare gene change called KANK1::NTRK2, then ran detailed lab tests on one of these tumors.
What they found. Two patients had this gene change. Both tumors grew fast, did not respond well to treatment, and both patients lived less than 7 months. Lab tests showed the tumor seemed to break down the support material that surrounds brain cells.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: This gene change may be one reason some glioblastomas grow and spread so fast. About 10% of glioblastomas have gene changes that drugs might be able to target. This work could point researchers toward new ideas to test.
What it doesn't mean: This is an early idea based on just two patients. It did not test any treatment. It does not mean there is a new drug for this tumor. It only applies to a small group of glioblastomas. It is far from everyday care, and it is not a cure.
Source: PubMed, August 20, 2026 · Read the original
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