A three-gene test may help spot a rare gene change in glioblastoma
Original title: Artificial intelligence-based diagnostic model for identifying PTPRZ1-MET fusion in a clinically defined secondary glioblastoma cohort.
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 was lab work on stored tumor samples from patients, not a test doctors can use yet.
The short version
Scientists built a computer test that may help find a rare gene change in some brain tumors.
What was studied. Researchers studied tumors from 159 people with secondary glioblastoma: The fastest-growing type of glioma (grade 4). Treatment usually starts soon after diagnosis: surgery first, then radiation and chemotherapy. See the glossary. This is a glioblastoma that grew out of a slower-growing brain tumor. Of those tumors, 15 had a gene change called PTPRZ1-MET and 144 did not.
What they found. People whose tumors had this gene change lived a shorter time. Their tumors also came back sooner. The team found 359 genes that were more active in tumors with the change. Three of them stood out: MET, PCDHGA3, and FAM3C. A computer program using just those three genes could sort the tumors well, and lab staining of a separate group of stored tumor samples backed this up.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: One day, a lab may be able to check three genes to tell if a tumor carries this change. That could help doctors group tumors more exactly. It may also help them know which people tend to have a tougher tumor.
What it doesn't mean: This is not a treatment. It does not cure anything and it is not a promise of one. This was early lab work on tumor samples, not a trial of any drug in people. The test is not approved and is not something your doctor can order today. It also does not change the care you are getting now.
Source: PubMed, August 4, 2026 · Read the original
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