Sweet potato particles used to shut off a tumor gene in mice
Original title: Engineered extracellular vesicles derived from sweet potato loaded with siPOLD1 for targeted therapy of glioma.
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 done in lab cells and in mice, not in people.
The short version
Scientists used tiny particles made from sweet potatoes to switch off a gene in brain tumors in mice.
What was studied. Researchers studied a gene called POLD1 in glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells, the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are graded 1 to 4 by how fast they tend to grow. See the glossary. They looked at tumor samples and databases, tested glioma cells in the lab, and tested mice. They also built tiny particles from sweet potatoes to carry a gene blocker into tumors.
What they found. POLD1 was higher in glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells, the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are graded 1 to 4 by how fast they tend to grow. See the glossary tissue. Higher levels went along with worse outcomes. When the researchers turned the gene down in lab cells, the cells grew, spread, and moved less, and more of them died. In mice, blocking POLD1 slowed tumor growth and the mice lived longer. The sweet potato particles reached the tumors, turned the gene down, and slowed tumor growth in the lab and in mice.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: This points to POLD1 as a gene worth studying as a target in glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells, the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are graded 1 to 4 by how fast they tend to grow. See the glossary. It also suggests plant based particles might be one way to carry medicine into the brain. Both ideas are still at an early stage.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean there is a new treatment. The work was done in lab dishes and in mice only. It has not been tested in people, so we do not know if it is safe or if it helps humans. Many things that work in mice do not work in people. This is not a cure, and it is not something a doctor can offer you now. It also does not mean eating sweet potatoes treats a brain tumor.
Source: PubMed, July 26, 2026 · Read the original
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