A common vitamin could help fight one of the deadliest brain cancers
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- University of Calgary researchers ran a Phase I/II trial adding high-dose controlled-release niacin to standard chemotherapy and radiotherapy for newly diagnosed glioblastoma patients.
- Niacin appears to work by rejuvenating immune cells that the tumor suppresses, allowing them to attack cancer cells, according to co-lead Dr. Wee Yong of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute.
- Early results from 24 patients showed 82% had no disease progression at six months, surpassing the trial's 20% benchmark and representing a 28% improvement over earlier studies.
- Dr. Gloria Roldan Urgoiti noted glioblastoma is the most aggressive adult brain cancer and that survival hasn't significantly changed in 20 years, justifying exploration of any potential improvement under strict safety monitoring.
- The trial aims to enroll 48 participants, with final analysis expected by end of 2026 or early 2027; findings were published in the Journal of Neuro-Oncology.
- Patient Edward Waldner, 55, joined the trial after diagnosis and reports feeling well, with follow-up scans showing his disease as stable.
- Researchers warned that high-dose vitamins including niacin can be toxic and require medical supervision, cautioning against unsupervised supplementation.
Why it matters: Glioblastoma is a cancer where 20-year survival has stagnated and standard treatment frequently fails. A cheap, widely available compound that reactivates suppressed immune cells offers a biologically distinct adjunct to chemo-radiation — but the toxicity warnings rule out DIY supplementation, and the definitive read comes when the 48-patient Phase II wraps by early 2027.
