Inhibitor may turn tumor-protecting immune cells against glioblastoma
Mayo Clinic researchers have discovered that inhibiting the MALT1 protein can reprogram immune cells to fight glioblastoma more effectively. When combined with standard chemotherapy, this approach significantly increased survival rates in preclinical models.
Why it matters
Glioblastoma is an aggressive and difficult-to-treat brain cancer; this research offers a potential pathway to improve existing treatment efficacy.
edited by Gaby Clark , reviewed by Robert Egan
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Add as preferred source MALT1 is expressed in TAMs in GBM. Credit: Nature Communications (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-76572-7 Mayo Clinic researchers have identified a potential new approach to treating glioblastoma that could help the immune system fight the aggressive brain cancer while improving the effectiveness of existing chemotherapy.
The preclinical research , published in Nature Communications , found that inhibiting the enzymatic activity of a protein called MALT1 can reprogram immune cells surrounding glioblastomas, shifting them from a state that helps protect the cancer to one that promotes an antitumor immune response.
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