(Press-News.org) Florida Atlantic University researchers have secured two key grants to investigate targeting a gene for the first time as a new approach to treat glioblastoma, a very aggressive and fast-growing type of brain cancer.
Malignant gliomas, such as glioblastoma multiforme and astrocytomas, are the most common type of primary brain tumor in the United States. They make up about 78% of all malignant brain tumors. Although these tumors are not very common, especially in the U.S., they cause a high number of cancer deaths because they are so aggressive.
These awards, granted by the Florida Department of Health’s Cancer Connect program for $562,000 and the Palm Health Foundation for $50,000, support a distinctive collaboration among FAU researchers that unites complementary expertise in neuroscience and cancer biology. Together, this partnership aims to advance highly innovative projects that have the potential to make a meaningful impact on cancer therapy.
The grants will explore a promising new target – a gene called MBLAC1 – whose properties encouraged a collaboration between two FAU research labs, one focused on molecular neuroscience and the other on cancer mechanisms and treatment.
MBLAC1 plays a key role in regulating copper levels within cells, which affects mitochondrial function and oxidative stress – both critical factors in cancer cell survival and growth. Since glioblastoma cells rely heavily on mitochondrial energy production and protection against oxidative damage, targeting MBLAC1 could disrupt these processes and slow tumor progression.
Investigators of this grant are Randy D. Blakely, Ph.D., executive director of the FAU Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute, the David J.S. Nicholson Distinguished Professor in Neuroscience and a professor of biomedical science within FAU’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine; and Gregg B. Fields, Ph.D., FAU vice president for research and executive director of the FAU Institute for Human Health and Disease Intervention (I-Health).
“By combining our expertise in cancer biology and neuroscience, we are approaching glioblastoma with a fresh and powerful perspective,” said Fields. “By identifying how MBLAC1 supports tumor growth and testing drugs that block its function, our team hopes to lay the groundwork for developing new, effective therapies that could improve outcomes for patients with glioblastoma and possibly other cancers.”
The project will investigate how MBLAC1 influences glioblastoma invasion and copper homeostasis using advanced 3D tumor models and genetically engineered mice lacking the gene.
“I’m excited to bring my background in neuroscience to explore new frontiers in cancer research,” said Blakely. “Our work centers on how a specific gene regulates copper – a vital micronutrient – in brain cells, which directly influences how these cells generate energy and manage stress. Because cancer cells depend heavily on energy to grow and spread, uncovering and interrupting this process could transform treatment. This collaboration is a perfect example of how combining different scientific perspectives can spark innovation and accelerate progress in the fight against cancer.”
The Blakely lab discovered that MBLAC1, a previously unstudied gene, plays a crucial role in brain cell function by regulating copper, which is essential for cell energy production and protection against oxidative stress. Lower levels of MBLAC1 have been linked to better survival in patients, suggesting it could be a key target for new treatments.
Researchers will investigate whether MBLAC1 from support brain cells or from the cancer cells themselves drives tumor invasion. Using 3D tumor models that closely mimic real tumors, they will observe how blocking MBLAC1 or copper affects tumor growth and spread. They are also developing a new test to quickly identify drugs that specifically inhibit MBLAC1 activity.
Blakely is collaborating on this project with cancer biologists Fields and Ania Knapinska, Ph.D., principal investigator and a research professor at FAU I-Health.
“Our project breaks new ground by uncovering a molecular pathway that actively promotes cancer through a gene linked to copper balance and glioblastoma risk,” said Knapinska. “We’re also pioneering novel genetic models to study glioblastoma in ways never done before. Our discoveries that mutations in this gene reduce mitochondrial function and increase cellular stress have driven us to explore its fundamental role in copper regulation and metabolism in living systems. Because this gene is highly targetable by drugs, our research opens promising new avenues for developing effective glioblastoma treatments.”
- FAU-
About Florida Atlantic University:
Florida Atlantic University, established in 1961, officially opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, Florida Atlantic serves more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students across six campuses located along the Southeast Florida coast. In recent years, the University has doubled its research expenditures and outpaced its peers in student achievement rates. Through the coexistence of access and excellence, Florida Atlantic embodies an innovative model where traditional achievement gaps vanish. Florida Atlantic is designated as a Hispanic-serving institution, ranked as a top public university by U.S. News & World Report, and holds the designation of “R1: Very High Research Spending and Doctorate Production” by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Florida Atlantic shares this status with less than 5% of the nearly 4,000 universities in the United States. For more information, visit www.fau.edu.
END
The United Nations' digital tech agency, ITU, invites reporters to an exclusive press tour on Monday, 7 July, before the official opening of the AI for Good Global Summit 2025.
With the rapid advance of artificial intelligence – from autonomous AI agents to brain-machine interfaces, self-driving vehicles, and a growing range of quantum technologies – AI for Good highlights global AI action to safeguard the future.
AI for Good will feature talks from AI leaders and 100+ demos showcasing AI innovations to deliver ...
PULLMAN, Wash. – Washington State University researchers have discovered how the bacteria that cause anaplasmosis and Lyme disease hijack cellular processes in ticks to ensure their survival and spread to new hosts, including humans.
Based in the College of Veterinary Medicine, the team found that the bacteria can manipulate a protein known as ATF6, which helps cells detect and respond to infection, to support its own growth and survival inside the tick. The findings, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could serve as a launching point for developing methods to eliminate the bacteria in ticks before they are transmitted to humans and ...
June 30, 2025, Sioux Falls, SD: A new study published in Nutrients offers new insight into omega-6 and whether it is truly the proinflammatory fatty acid many claim it to be.
There is currently a heightened interest in the health effects of seed oils, many of which are rich in linoleic acid (LA), an essential omega-6 fatty acid. Many have claimed that western diets contain “too much” LA and that many diseases of modernity stem from the increased intake of LA over the last century.
This narrative places the blame on excess inflammation presumably caused by higher LA intakes. But ...
When companies miss their earnings targets, one might expect them to lower expectations and rebuild investor trust slowly. However, many do the opposite. They announced even higher goals for the next period. A team of researchers, led by Professor Jungwon Min from Inha University, South Korea, including Professor Hyonok Kim from Tokyo Keizai University and Professor Konari Uchida from the Graduate School of Business and Finance, Waseda University, Japan, published a new study online in the journal Review of Managerial Science on June 03, 2025. It uncovers how firms strategically ...
Organ transplantation has significantly revolutionized the treatment of patients with organ failure. However, the recipient’s immune system recognizes transplanted organs as foreign and elicits a defensive response that can lead to serious complications. Bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) is one such complication that arises frequently following lung transplantation (LT) and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). BOS is characterized by the narrowing of airways, fibrosis, and inflammation in the lung tissue leading to breathing difficulties and poor graft survival.
Immune mechanisms and shared pathological ...
PITTSBURGH, June 30, 2025 – New research from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and La Jolla Institute for Immunology, published today in Nature Microbiology, reveals an opportunity for developing a therapy against cytomegalovirus (CMV), the leading infectious cause of birth defects in the United States.
Researchers discovered a previously unappreciated mechanism by which CMV, a herpes virus that infects the majority of the world’s adult population, enters cells that line the blood vessels and contributes to vascular disease. In addition to using molecular machinery that is shared by ...
Inspired by how nature blends toughness and flexibility, such as the rigid structure of bone surrounded by pliable cartilage, all with elegant and precise geometric properties, researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have developed a fast, precise new 3D printing method that seamlessly merges soft and hard properties into a single object using different colors of light.
This advance could pave the way for next-generation prosthetics, flexible medical devices and stretchable electronics that move naturally with the body, much like a human joint or ligament. The process is described in a paper out today in Nature Materials.
“What really motivated ...
BCI robotic hand control reaches new finger-level milestone
Robotic systems have the potential to greatly enhance daily living for the over one billion individuals worldwide who experience some form of disability. Brain-computer interfaces or BCIs present a compelling option by enabling direct communication between the brain and external devices, bypassing traditional muscle-based control.
While invasive BCIs have demonstrated the ability to control robotic systems with high precision, their reliance on risky surgical ...
A new study from scientists at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging has revealed a surprising player in the battle against Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia: brain sugar metabolism. Published in Nature Metabolism, the research uncovers how breaking down glycogen—a stored form of glucose—in neurons may protect the brain from toxic protein buildup and degeneration.
Glycogen is typically thought of as a reserve energy source stored in the liver and muscles. While small amounts ...
CHICAGO --- In radiation therapy, precision can save lives. Oncologists must carefully map the size and location of a tumor before delivering high-dose radiation to destroy cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue. But this process, called tumor segmentation, is still done manually, takes time, varies between doctors — and can lead to critical tumor areas being overlooked.
Now, a team of Northwestern Medicine scientists has developed an AI tool called iSeg that not only matches doctors in accurately outlining lung tumors on CT scans but can also identify areas that some doctors may miss, reports ...
