Engineered stem cells given through the nose shrank glioblastoma tumors in animals
Original title: Isolation of adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cells expressing soluble forms of GAS1 and PTEN for experimental cell therapy for 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 tested in the lab and in animals, not in people.
The short version
Scientists built stem cells that carry two tumor-fighting genes, and giving them through the nose made tumors smaller in animal tests.
What was studied. Researchers took stem cells from fat tissue and changed them to make two tumor suppressor proteins, tGAS1 and PTEN-L. They tested these cells 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 and in animals with tumors in the brain, giving the cells through the nose.
What they found. The engineered cells traveled to the tumors in the brain. They could be switched on to make and release both proteins. Tumors in the treated animals got smaller.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: This is an early idea for a possible second treatment option for glioblastoma: The fastest-growing type of glioma (grade 4). Treatment usually starts soon after diagnosis: surgery first, then radiation and chemotherapy. See the glossary. Giving cells through the nose may be a way to reach a brain tumor without surgery. Right now it only shows the idea can work in the lab and in animals.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean there is a new treatment for people. The work was done in lab dishes and in animals, not in patients. Many things that shrink tumors in animals do not work in people. No one has tested if this is safe or helpful for a person. It is not a cure, and it is not something a doctor can offer today.
Source: PubMed, June 10, 2026 · Read the original
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