Two drugs with radiation tested in lab cells and mice
Original title: Combined HDAC and ATM inhibition with radiation in preclinical glioblastoma models
How far along is this research?
This is a preprint. Other scientists have not checked it yet, so treat it as an early signal rather than an answer.
This was only done in lab cells and in mice.
The short version
Two drugs were tested to help radiation kill brain tumor cells in the lab.
What was studied. Researchers tested two drugs on 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 taken from patients. They tried the drugs with and without radiation. They also tested the drugs plus radiation in mice with brain tumors.
What they found. The two drugs together made the tumor cells more sensitive to radiation in the dish. In mice, the drug quisinostat plus radiation helped them live longer than radiation alone. Adding the second drug, AZD1390, did not help the mice live any longer.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: This points to a possible way to make radiation work better against 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. Right now it is just an early lead for scientists to keep testing. It does not change any care a patient can get today.
What it doesn't mean: This is lab and animal work only. The drugs were tested on cells in a dish and in mice, not in people with brain tumors. It does not mean this drug mix is safe or helpful for patients. It is not a cure, and it is a long way from everyday care.
Source: bioRxiv (preprint), October 7, 2026 · Read the original
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