Posted: 1 December 2025
A new study led by The Florey has revealed that heightened neural excitability in the brain directly drives increased growth of glioma, an aggressive and currently incurable form of brain cancer. “Glioma is a devastating diagnosis,” says Professor Lucy Palmer, Head of The Florey’s Neural Network Group. “This study highlights that we need to understand more about the brain’s role in brain cancer, and exactly how it provides a microenvironment that promotes cancer growth.”
Published in Nature Neuroscience, the research examines, for the first time using human tissue, how differing glioma grades influence both neuronal and tumour cell excitability. The findings show that highly aggressive tumours trigger stronger neural activity, which in turn accelerates cancer proliferation. This uncovers a long-missing link in understanding how glioma hijacks the brain’s electrical environment.
Historically, medical research has focused on glioblastoma, leaving less-aggressive glioma types comparatively under-investigated. The Florey’s team, working closely with neurosurgeons at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, has demonstrated that neurons within high-grade tumours display markedly greater excitability. Reduced neuronal excitability, by contrast, aligns with slower tumour progression – opening new pathways for targeted therapeutic development.
The investigation is made possible through the rapid transfer of live brain tumour tissue from the operating theatre at the Royal Melbourne Hospital to The Florey’s laboratory. Professor Kate Drummond notes that “my patients deeply appreciate the opportunity to contribute to world-leading research and our findings may transform future treatments.”
Supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Brain Cancer Centre backed by Carrie’s Beanies 4 Brain Cancer, the study lays vital groundwork for strategies that disrupt how glioma exploits neural networks.
