It might not be possible at this time to eradicate cancer altogether. But we may be able to stop cancer cells in their tracks through a process called senescence.

In senescence, cells don't divide. And when cells don't divide, they don't grow. In such a scenario then, cancer cells wouldn't divide and therefore couldn't grow.

Think about this:

According to lab tests on mice, triggering senescence in certain cells hampers the growth of some tumors.

Researchers at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston are the ones behind the scenes on this project -- the study appears online in EMBO Reports, a publication of the European Molecular Biology Organization -- and all eyes are on the p53 gene.

The p53 gene lives within cells and works to nip cancer in the bud by springing to action in damaged cells that may be spinning themselves into a cancer frenzy.

Researchers say senescence ordered by the p53 gene is extremely important in suppressing tumor formation and is as important as apoptosis -- a type of programmed cell death. But in some cancers, senescence might not be enough to halt cancer, they found.

OK, so senescence is not a perfect approach to halting all cancers. But it seems to work for some -- so I say for now, let's take what we can get.

Glioblastoma is the deadliest form of brain cancer, most often striking patients in their 50s and 60s who after diagnosis typically have only 10 to 12 months to live.

Glioblastoma is a shocking diagnosis -- and while the tumors don't tend to spread outside the brain, they resist surgery and return even when half the brain is removed. They also are resistant to most treatment. Clearly, insight into this deadly cancer is a must. Thankfully, a little slice of insight has just emerged.

Armed with findings from experiments in mice, researchers report they've discovered a clue that might help unravel the mystery of glioblastomas.

Studies show that some mice recovered from a human form of brain cancer when given bone morphogenetic proteins that appeared to interfere with the cancer growth process in stem-like cells. This leads researchers to believe the proteins could be used to stop cancer growth and prevent it from recurring.

The research is not ready for prime time, says one of the researchers who maintains there is still a long way to go. Yet the findings are promising -- and they suggest stem cells may play a critical role in tumor formation.

About 17,000 to 18,000 Americans develop brain cancer each year. Half of these patients will be diagnosed with glioblastoma.