In a study published Wednesday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, University of Oklahoma researchers detail their discoveries about why the brain tumor glioblastoma is so aggressive. Their findings center on ZIP4, a protein that transports zinc throughout the body and sets off a cascade of events that drive tumor growth.

About half of all malignant brain tumors are glioblastomas, the deadliest form of brain cancer with a median survival rate of 14 months.

“Surgery for glioblastoma is very challenging, and patients almost always experience a relapse,” said the study’s senior author, Min Li, Ph.D., a professor of medicine, surgery and cell biology at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine. “By better understanding why these brain tumors are so aggressive, we hope to open up paths for new treatments.”