Blocking a gene called YAP1 slowed blood vessel growth in rat brain tumors
Original title: Investigating YAP-dependent angiogenesis in glioblastoma.
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 in rats, not in people.
The short version
In lab and animal tests, switching off a gene called YAP1 made brain tumors grow fewer blood vessels.
What was studied. Researchers studied glioblastoma: The fastest-growing type of glioma (grade 4). Treatment usually starts soon after diagnosis: surgery first, then radiation and chemotherapy. See the glossary, a fast growing brain tumor that builds a lot of blood vessels to feed itself. They used gene editing to switch off a gene called Yap1 in rat brain tumor cells, then tested those cells in the lab and in a rat tumor model.
What they found. When Yap1 was switched off, the tumor cells caused shorter blood vessels to form in a lab test. Rat tumors without Yap1 also grew fewer new blood vessels and had less dense vessels. Those tumors also made much less Vegf, a signal that tells the body to build blood vessels.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: This points to Yap1 as a possible target for future drugs that try to starve a tumor by cutting off its blood supply. For now it helps scientists understand how glioblastoma: The fastest-growing type of glioma (grade 4). Treatment usually starts soon after diagnosis: surgery first, then radiation and chemotherapy. See the glossary feeds itself.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean there is a new treatment. The work was done in cells and in rats, not in people. No one was treated, and nothing here shows it helps a person live longer or feel better. It is early science and it is a long way from everyday care. It is not a cure or a promise of one.
Source: PubMed, July 27, 2026 · Read the original
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