New mouse model of a rare infant brain tumor
Original title: Overactivation of SHH signaling induces a cascade of dedifferentiation and oncogenesis in a new mouse model for choroid plexus carcinoma.
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 done only in mice and in cells in a lab dish.
The short version
Scientists built mice that grow a rare brain tumor seen in babies, to help study it.
What was studied. Researchers looked at choroid plexus carcinoma. This is a fast growing brain tumor found in babies. They changed genes in mice so these tumors would form before birth.
What they found. 84% of the mice grew brain tumors within 18 days of life. The tumors looked like the human tumor under a microscope. The team saw mature brain lining cells turn back into young, fast growing cells. In lab dishes, the tumor cells were harmed by drugs that block two proteins, ATR and CDK.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: This gives scientists a better way to study a tumor that is poorly understood. It also points to two possible drug targets worth testing next.
What it doesn't mean: This work was done in mice and in cells in a dish. No child or adult was treated in this study. It does not mean a new treatment is coming soon. It is not a cure, and it is far from the care a doctor can give today.
Source: PubMed, August 21, 2026 · Read the original
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