Lab study looks at why a brain tumor drug stops working
Original title: METTL3 Increases Temozolomide Resistance in MGMT-Negative Glioblastoma by Enhancing CBX5 mRNA Stability in an m6A-IGF2BP2-Dependent Manner.
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 in cells and in mice.
The short version
Scientists found a protein that may help brain tumor cells survive chemotherapy.
What was studied. Researchers studied 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 cells, stored tumor samples, and mice given tumors. They tested a protein called CBX5 and the drug temozolomide: A chemotherapy taken as a capsule, used for some brain tumors. Your team checks your blood counts while you are on it. See the glossary.
What they found. In tumor records, people with more CBX5 tended to live a shorter time. When the team lowered CBX5, the drug killed more cells and did more damage to them. In mice, lowering CBX5 slowed tumor growth during drug treatment. Two other proteins, METTL3 and IGF2BP2, helped keep CBX5 levels up.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: This may help explain why temozolomide: A chemotherapy taken as a capsule, used for some brain tumors. Your team checks your blood counts while you are on it. See the glossary stops working for some people. It points to a possible target for future drugs.
What it doesn't mean: This is early work in cells and in mice. No drug for this exists, and no one has tested it in people. It does not change your care today, and it is not a cure.
Source: PubMed, October 1, 2026 · Read the original
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