Scientific reportsOct 16, 2025

Gene editing finds SOX2 controls a stem cell marker and stress response in brain cancer cells

CRISPR Gene Editing Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗OA ↗

Updated Jun 27, 2026

Abstract

Essence

appears to regulate CD133/PROM1-linked stress responses that may help glioblastoma stem-like cells withstand treatment pressure.

Evidence

A CRISPR-Cas9 functional screen in glioblastoma models identified SOX2 control of PROM1/CD133 dynamics and responses to stress, including chemoradiation-induced stress.

Caveat

The abstract reports mechanistic preclinical screening, not validated patient outcomes or a tested therapy for glioblastoma.

Simplified

Glioblastoma (GBM) remains a formidable challenge in clinical settings due to limited treatments available. The surface protein CD133 marks glioblastoma stem cells (), cells capable of overcoming therapeutic pressures and correlate with more aggressiveness tumor phenotypes. In this study, we employed a CRISPR-Cas9 functional screen to deconvolute CD133 dynamics in tumors. This led us to establish that is a key player in controlling the PROM1 gene, which in turn influences how cells react to stress factors, including those induced by chemoradiation treatment. The discoveries in this study shed light on the complex web of mechanisms that control the survival and resistance of GSCs, offering promising new avenues for targeting and potentially overcoming therapy resistance.

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Gene editing finds SOX2 controls a stem cell marker and stress response in brain cancer cells

Abstract

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