Wider gene testing found a rare drug target in two brain tumor patients
Original title: Unmasking therapeutic opportunities in glioblastoma: A case series of neurotrophic tyrosine receptor kinase fusions identified by upfront panel-based next-generation sequencing.
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 is just two patient reports, and neither person has started the drug yet.
The short version
A broad gene test on two brain tumors found a rare change that approved drugs can aim at.
What was studied. Doctors report on two people with a high grade brain tumor, called glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells. Those are the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are given a grade from 1 to 4. The grade says how the tumor is expected to act. See the glossary. Each tumor got broad gene testing right at diagnosis, not just the short standard test.
What they found. Both tumors had a rare gene change known as an NTRK fusion. One had an NTRK3 fusion. The other had an NTRK2 fusion plus other gene changes. The short standard glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells. Those are the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are given a grade from 1 to 4. The grade says how the tumor is expected to act. See the glossary test would have missed both.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: Broad gene testing at diagnosis can sometimes find a rare target. Drugs that aim at NTRK fusions are already approved. Both patients were told about these drugs. They may be offered one if the tumor grows again.
What it doesn't mean: This is a report on two people, not a trial. Neither patient had taken the drug yet. So it does not show the drug helps brain tumors. NTRK fusions are rare, so most people will not have one. This is not a cure or a promise.
Source: PubMed, October 29, 2026 · Read the original
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