A switched-off gene changes how brain tumor cells make energy
Original title: GLS2 reshapes glycolytic metabolism and bioenergetic homeostasis in glioblastoma cells.
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 done only in tumor cells in a dish, not in people.
The short version
In lab dishes, switching one gene back on made 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 make less energy from sugar.
What was studied. Researchers used two 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 cell lines grown in the lab. They switched on a gene called GLS2, or a related gene called GLS, then measured how the cells used sugar and made energy.
What they found. Switching on GLS2 changed how the cells handled sugar. Sugar built up inside them. Some of the products the cells normally make from sugar dropped. The cells also made less energy from sugar, while the energy made by their mitochondria stayed the same. Switching on the related gene GLS did not do this.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: This helps explain how GLS2 may hold 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 back. It points to the cell's energy system as a place to look for future treatment ideas.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean there is a new treatment. The work was done only in tumor cells in a dish. No people or animals were treated, and nothing was tested for safety or benefit. It is not a cure, and it is far from anything a doctor could offer today.
Source: PubMed, October 14, 2026 · Read the original
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