Glioblastoma's secret weapon: Silencing the brain's off switch

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Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have discovered a new strategy that glioblastoma, the most common and aggressive form of adult brain cancer, uses to fuel its own growth. Published in the journal Neuron, the study shows in animal models that glioblastoma hijacks the activity of neighboring brain cells, flipping them from a role that limits tumor growth to one that promotes it. The findings point to new treatment possibilities for this deadly cancer, which has seen only minimal gains in patient survival over the past half century.