University of Benghazi Researchers Publish Cancer Molecular Biology Study in PLOS ONE

Two faculty members from the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Benghazi have published a specialised research study in cancer molecular biology in the international scientific journal PLOS ONE. PLOS ONE is ranked in the first quartile (Q1) in the Multidisciplinary category according to SCImago. The study was published on 9 October 2026.

The research was conducted by Dr Abdelmuhsen M. Abusneina, a faculty member in the Department of Molecular Diagnostics, and Soad M. Elwirfli, a faculty member in the Department of Forensic Sciences, both at the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, University of Benghazi.

The study, published in PLOS ONE, is entitled:
“Passenger co-deletion confounds glutaminolysis signatures anchored on PTEN loss: A cautionary case for location-aware signature design”

Investigating PTEN Loss and Glutaminolysis Across Cancer Types

The researchers analysed tumour data across fourteen cancer types to investigate the relationship between loss of the tumour suppressor gene PTEN and changes associated with glutaminolysis in cancer cells.

Passenger Co-Deletion and the Interpretation of Cancer Genomic Signatures

The findings showed that the observed association between PTEN loss and glutaminolysis signatures is largely explained by the simultaneous deletion of neighbouring genes on chromosome 10. This suggests that some molecular signatures may appear to reflect changes in cancer metabolism when they are actually influenced by the physical location of genes within the genome.

Improving the Design of Molecular Studies in Cancer Research

The study provides an important methodological insight for cancer genomics, demonstrating how the chromosomal location of genes can influence the interpretation of molecular signatures. Its findings may contribute to more accurate analysis of genomic data and improve the design and interpretation of molecular studies in cancer research.