Doctors describe a new kind of pineal gland tumor
Original title: Identification and characterization of a novel distinct Pineal Neoplasm with Neuroendocrine and Epithelial Differentiation (PINNED).
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 is lab study of tumor samples, so it may help with diagnosis but it is not a treatment.
The short version
Doctors found a tumor type in the pineal gland that was not known before.
What was studied. Researchers studied 27 tumors from the pineal region of the brain. They looked at the DNA and the cells to see if these tumors matched any known tumor type.
What they found. All 27 tumors shared the same DNA pattern. That pattern did not match any known brain tumor type. The average age was 35 years, with the youngest at 7 and the oldest at 75. Four out of 16 tumors (25%) had a change in a gene called ATRX: A gene checked on the pathology report. The tumor cells may or may not still make the ATRX protein. Which one it is helps sort a glioma into one type or another. See the glossary. The team gave this new type a name, PINNED.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: Getting the right name for a tumor helps guide care. If doctors can tell this tumor apart from others, the diagnosis can be more exact. Pineal region tumors are rare. They make up less than 1% of all brain and spinal cord tumors in adults. They are more common in children.
What it doesn't mean: This is not a new treatment. The work is about naming and spotting a tumor, not treating it. It is lab study of tumor samples that had already been removed. Nothing here changes what a doctor can offer today. It is not a promise of a cure.
Source: PubMed, October 26, 2026 · Read the original
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