Researchers at the University of Cambridge have found a new way to stop glioblastoma, the deadliest form of brain cancer, from spreading. Instead of attacking the cancer cells directly, they targeted a substance in the brain called hyaluronic acid. Cancer cells use this molecule to move. By making the molecule stiff so it can’t bend, scientists were able to block cancer cells from invading healthy tissue, putting them into a dormant state.
Glioblastoma is very hard to treat. Even with surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation, it often comes back because some cells escape treatment. Only about 15% of patients survive beyond five years. This new approach is different because it changes the cancer’s environment, cutting off the signals that allow it to grow and spread.
Experts believe this may explain why glioblastoma often returns after surgery. Fluid around the surgical site makes hyaluronic acid more flexible, which helps cancer spread. If more studies confirm these results, this method could give doctors a new tool to slow tumor growth — and may even open doors to treating other cancers in the same way.
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