The hard truth about the role of soft tissue in brain cancer relapse
Manjeera Gowravaram Mumbai 11 Aug 2026 Glioblastoma is among the most aggressive forms of brain cancer— meaning it spreads quickly, resists treatment, and is difficult to remove surgically. It is also one of the hardest to treat, as even after surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, patients typically survive only six months to a year. The tumour almost always returns, and when it does, it is often…
Glioblastoma, a highly aggressive form of brain cancer, presents significant challenges in treatment. Even after surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, patients typically survive only six months to a year. A recent series of studies conducted by Prof. Abhijit Majumder's team at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) suggests that the physical softness of soft tissue surrounding tumours may contribute to aggressive relapse.
This softness can activate cancer-promoting genes and conceal drug targets that are only visible under conditions that replicate real brain tissue. In their first study, researchers exposed brain cancer cells to radiation, killing most of them, and observed that the surviving cells exhibited more aggressive behaviour when grown on conventional rigid plastic culture dishes compared to soft gels mimicking brain tissue.
This discrepancy in cell behaviour could not be detected on plastic surfaces and may explain why certain drug targets are missed in conventional laboratory models. Additionally, the study found that a protein called PLEKHA7, which is elevated in recurrent glioblastoma, becomes visible only on soft gels. Blocking PLEKHA7 successfully reduced tumour cell survival and spread.
Another protein, NEAT1, a gene-regulating RNA molecule, was found to increase three to four-fold on soft, brain-like surfaces. When NEAT1 levels were reduced in cells grown on soft gels, several aggressive traits of the cancer cells decreased. The researchers also noted that glioblastoma tumours should be studied in three dimensions, as current models only use two-dimensional planes.
Written by urgent.news from Research Matters India's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
