Glioblastoma is a malignant brain tumor that mostly recurs within one year after treatment, with a very low survival rate. Domestic researchers have revealed for the first time that there are precancerous cells with the potential to develop into cancer cells in glioblastoma.
Professor Lee Jeong-ho and his research team at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have identified the 'seeds of cancer,' precancerous cells that are the sources of the evolution, recurrence, and treatment resistance of glioblastoma, marking a world first, they noted on the 21st. The research results were published in the international cancer journal Cancer Discovery on the 16th.
The research team previously published findings in the international journal Nature in 2018, indicating that glioblastoma starts from mutated stem cells deep within the brain. This study also clarified where precancerous cells originate and revealed that these precancerous cells play a central role in producing various types of cancer cells within tumors, contributing to cancer recurrence.
In particular, malignant brain tumors like glioblastoma are difficult to treat due to 'intratumoral heterogeneity,' which causes cancer cells to respond differently to treatments. The research team has revealed for the first time that precancerous cells are the cause of this intratumoral heterogeneity. Based on this, the start-up company Sobajen is currently researching and developing innovative RNA therapies to suppress the evolution and recurrence of glioblastoma.
Professor Kim Hyun-jeong from Korea University, the sole first author of the paper (formerly a researcher at KAIST), explained, "Precancerous cells are like the 'seeds of cancer heterogeneity' that evolve the tumor into a more complex and aggressive form," adding, "Understanding and targeting precancerous cells could be the key to fundamentally overcoming glioblastoma."
References
Cancer Discovery(2025), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1158/2159-8290.CD-24-0234