Blocking a gene partner helped a tumor drug work better in mice
Original title: EGFR-co-amplified lncRNA ELDR drives glioblastoma tumorigenicity by enhancing BMI1 activity.
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 tests and in mice.
The short version
In mice, adding a second drug made an existing brain tumor drug work better.
What was studied. Researchers looked at 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 tumors to find genes copied along with a gene called EGFR. They then tested drug combinations in mice with these tumors.
What they found. They found a piece of RNA called ELDR. It gets copied along with EGFR in these tumors, and people with more of it tended to do worse. In mice, blocking ELDR or a protein called BMI1 made the EGFR drug erlotinib work better.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: This points to a possible new target for some glioblastomas. It may help explain why EGFR drugs have not worked well so far.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean a new treatment is ready. The work was done in lab tests and in mice, not in people. No one can ask for this at a clinic today. It is a long way from everyday care, and it is not a cure or a promise of one.
Source: PubMed, September 3, 2026 · Read the original
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