Researchers in Canada have identified a hidden communication network that allows glioblastoma, the most aggressive form of brain cancer, to thrive. The study, published in the journal Neuron, suggests that brain cells previously thought to be benign play a critical role in fueling tumor expansion.
Scientists at McMaster University and The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) found that oligodendrocytes—cells typically responsible for protecting nerve fibers—can be subverted by cancer. These cells provide signals that reinforce the survival and growth of tumor cells.
"Glioblastoma isn't just a mass of cancer cells, it's an ecosystem," said Sheila Singh, co-senior author of the study and a professor of surgery at McMaster. "By decoding how these cells talk to each other, we've found a vulnerability that could be targeted with a drug that's already on the market."
Targeting the cancer ecosystem
The research team determined that this communication relies on a receptor known as CCR5. Because this receptor is already a target for the HIV drug Maraviroc, the findings offer a potential fast track for clinical testing. Repurposing existing, approved medication could significantly shorten the timeline for providing new options to patients facing the current, highly limited treatment landscape.
When researchers blocked this signaling in laboratory models, they observed a significant decrease in tumor growth. This indicates that the interaction between oligodendrocytes and cancer cells is essential to the disease's progression.
"The cellular ecosystem within glioblastoma is far more dynamic than previously understood," said Jason Moffat, co-senior author and head of the Genetics & Genome Biology program at SickKids. "In uncovering an important piece of the cancer's biology, we also identified a potential therapeutic target."
These findings build upon previous research conducted by the same team in 2024, which detailed how cancer cells exploit developmental pathways to spread throughout the brain. The current study reinforces the strategy of treating glioblastoma by disrupting the specific environmental signals that tumors require to survive.
The project was supported by the 2020 William Donald Nash Brain Tumour Research Fellowship and the Canadian Institutes for Health Research. Researchers believe this focus on the tumor's "ecosystem" provides a viable roadmap for future clinical trials.
