Glioblastoma cells that resist chemo start to act more like stem cells
Original title: Stem-like characteristics across sequentially temozolomide-adapted glioblastoma cell populations with increasing levels of acquired resistance.
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 was only done on cells in a lab dish.
The short version
In the lab, 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 that learned to survive a common chemo drug began to look more like stem cells.
What was studied. Researchers used 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 grown in a lab dish. They started with cells that the chemo drug temozolomide could still kill, then made two new groups by exposing the cells to the drug again and again.
What they found. Both drug adapted groups were harder to kill with temozolomide and grew more slowly than the starting cells. Both groups also showed more stem cell traits, including more clump forming ability and more cells carrying a marker called CD133. The group with the strongest resistance had the biggest changes, including higher levels of two genes linked to more aggressive cancer.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: This does not change any treatment today. It offers one possible reason why temozolomide can stop working over time. If stem like cells help drive that resistance, they may be worth studying as a target in future research.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean a new treatment is on the way. The work was done only on cells in a dish. It was not tested in animals and not tested in people. No one in this study was treated, so it does not show that anyone lived longer or felt better. It is not a cure, and it does not change the care you or your doctor can choose right now.
Source: PubMed, August 11, 2026 · Read the original
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