Gap in the Defense: Brain cancer patients short on valuable protein

Brain-tumor cells have a dearth of an obscure protein whose sister compounds have shown anticancer effects, scientists report in the March 18 Nature.

The protein is called p29 or ING4, shorthand for inhibitor of growth. After earlier research had indicated that a related protein, ING1, has antitumor properties, scientists became interested in other members of the ING family.