Blood proteins may signal a higher chance a glioma comes back
Original title: Biomarkers of the tumor microenvironment for prognostication of recurrence in glioma and targeting stemness using an adjuvant.
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.
The blood proteins were only watched in a small group of people, and the curcumin part was done on cells in a lab.
The short version
A small study found four proteins in the blood that may show who is more likely to have their tumor return.
What was studied. Researchers took blood from 15 people with glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells, the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are graded 1 to 4 by how fast they tend to grow. See the glossary. They measured four proteins, called HMGA1, hTERT, CD117, and PDGFR, at the time of diagnosis and again when the tumor came back. They also checked the same proteins in tumor tissue, and tested a substance called curcumin on glioblastoma: The fastest-growing type of glioma (grade 4). Treatment usually starts soon after diagnosis: surgery first, then radiation and chemotherapy. See the glossary cells in the lab.
What they found. All four proteins were higher in the blood of people with glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells, the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are graded 1 to 4 by how fast they tend to grow. See the glossary than in people without it, and the tumor tissue matched the blood results. When the tumor came back, hTERT and PDGFR had gone up again. People with more hTERT and HMGA1 lived a shorter time and their tumor came back sooner, and in the lab curcumin lowered those two proteins in cells after 24 hours and the cells moved less.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: One day a simple blood test might help doctors spot who is at higher risk of a glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells, the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are graded 1 to 4 by how fast they tend to grow. See the glossary returning. That could help with planning scans and follow-up care. For now this is only an early research idea, not a test you can ask for.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean curcumin treats glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells, the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are graded 1 to 4 by how fast they tend to grow. See the glossary. That part was done on cells in a dish, not in people. Only 15 people gave blood, which is a very small group. No blood test like this is used in regular care today. This is not a cure and it is not a promise of one.
Source: PubMed, July 18, 2026 · Read the original
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