University research paves the way for more personalised and effective brain tumour treatments

Researchers in our Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence are leading studies into the development and treatment of meningioma

PhD research Maryam Shah working in the Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence

Mr Alan Williams

Media and Communications Manager

Corporate Communications (Marketing and Communications)

25 June 2025

Researchers from the ҹè��Ƶ have identified proteins which fuel the growth of the most common type of brain tumour, a discovery that could ultimately lead to less invasive treatments for patients.

Through research conducted in laboratories on ҹè��Ƶ Science Park, scientists and PhD students in the University’s Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence studied molecular subtypes of meningiomas and found a protein called ANXA3 which drives the growth of certain meningioma cells.

By blocking the functions of the protein in lab tests, the researchers were able to slow – and in some cases completely stop – tumour cell growth.

In a study published in the journal eBioMedicine, they say it raises hopes for the development of less invasive treatments for patients with meningioma, who currently rely on surgery and radiotherapy.

The research was carried out by the team of researchers led by Professor Oliver Hanemann , Director of the Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence in ҹè��Ƶ, as part of PhD work done by Maryam Shah.

Targeting ANXA3 may offer a more personalised approach to treating meningiomas in future, particularly for patients whose meningioma is a result of a mutation in a gene known as NF2, the most common cause of meningioma tumours.

More research needs to take place in the labs before this treatment will reach patients, but it marks a first step towards a non-invasive and personalised treatment for meningioma patients.

Professor Oliver Hanemann
Chair in Clinical Neurobiology

The research is the latest to come from the Centre of Excellence, which is internationally renowned for research into low-grade tumours that are usually slow-growing and frequently affect children and young adults.

Much of its work centres around meningioma, which affect 2,790 people in England each year. And while most are low-grade and non-cancerous, they can still cause serious and sometimes life-limiting complications due to their location and size.

Just earlier this month, another study – published in the Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research – revealed how the genetic makeup of meningioma shapes the behaviour of immune cells, paving the way for more personalised and effective immunotherapy treatments.

Using pioneering 3D models that closely mimic how immune cells interact with tumours, the team – led by Professor Hanemann and PhD researcher Ting Zhang found clear differences in immune cells between more aggressive and less aggressive tumours.

They showed that a specific immune cell type – known as an M2-like macrophage – is more prevalent in meningiomas with certain genetic mutations (such as NF2) or molecular profiles (like methylation class ben-1), and these cells appear to accelerate tumour growth.

They also discovered that the presence of M2-like macrophages is associated with higher levels of a molecule called IL-6, which is associated with tumour growth, particularly in lower-grade tumours. This positions both M2-like macrophages and IL-6 as promising targets for future therapies.

This research not only lays the foundation for new immunotherapy strategies but also offers a potential tool for clinicians to identify patients most likely to benefit, marking a critical step towards personalised treatment approaches for meningioma.

PhD researcher Ting Zhang working in the Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence

A number of scientists and students working in the ҹè��Ƶ Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence attended the British Neuro-Oncology Society (BNOS) Annual Meeting 2025.

During the conference, the study examining the role of immune cells of meningioma was announced as the winner of the BNOS 2025 Top Scientific poster prize.

Read the full studies mentioned in this article:

Shah et al: Integrated proteomic and targeted Next Generation Sequencing reveal relevant heterogeneity in lower-grade meningioma and ANXA3 as a new target in NF2 mutated meningiomas is published in eBioMedicine, DOI: .
Zhang et al: Tumour-associated macrophage infiltration differs in meningioma genotypes, and is important in tumour dynamics is published in the Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research, DOI: .

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Mr Alan Williams

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