Scientists have discovered that a common form of brain cancer may begin developing in seemingly normal brain cells years before a tumour becomes visible, opening new possibilities for early detection and treatment.
Scientists in South Korea have found that IDH-mutant gliomas, a form of brain cancer that commonly affects people under the age of 50, may begin long before a tumour mass appears. The researchers discovered that normal-looking brain cells can acquire an initial IDH mutation and quietly spread through the brain’s cortex years ahead of diagnosis, a hidden phase that may explain why the cancer is difficult to completely eliminate and prone to recurrence.
The study, led by Professors Jeong Ho Lee and Seok-Gu Kang, revealed that the cancer originates in Glial Progenitor Cells (GPCs), which appear healthy under a microscope but have already picked up genetic mutations. Using advanced spatial transcriptomics technology, the team was able to map and track these mutated cells within brain tissue that looked normal to the naked eye, showing that by the time a tumour forms, the mutated cells are already widely dispersed.
The findings, published in the journal Science, further distinguish IDH-mutant gliomas from other brain cancers. While the same research group reported in 2018 that glioblastomas originate from neural stem cells, this new study shows that IDH-mutant gliomas arise in the brain’s cortex from GPCs. The joint research team, involving KAIST and Yonsei University Severance Hospital, said the discovery could lead to earlier diagnosis and strategies aimed at preventing tumour recurrence.