MRI scans may hint at a gene change in glioma
Original title: Explainable MRI radiomics identifies a PTEN-associated imaging phenotype in adult gliomas.
How far along is this research?
- Lab cells
- Animals
- Review
- Tested in people
This was tested in people. That is the most reliable kind of research we share.
This was an early look back at old scans, not a test you can get.
The short version
A computer looked at brain scans to guess if a tumor had a gene change called PTEN.
What was studied. Researchers looked back at MRI scans from 195 adults with glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells, the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are given a grade from 1 to 4 describing how the tumor is expected to behave. See the glossary. In that group, 11 had the PTEN gene change and 184 did not. A computer program studied patterns in the scans.
What they found. The program spotted 90.9% of the people who did have the PTEN change. It correctly ruled it out in 71.7% of the people who did not have it. But only 11 people in the study had the change, so many of its positive guesses would still be wrong.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: Right now, doctors learn PTEN status by testing a piece of tumor tissue. A scan reading could someday give a hint without surgery. This study is an early step toward that idea.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean a scan can replace a biopsy today. The team looked back at old scans, and only 11 people had the gene change. The results were not checked at other hospitals. This is not a treatment, and it is not a cure.
Source: PubMed, August 19, 2026 · Read the original
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