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NewsA small clinical trial from the University of Calgary found that high-dose vitamin B3 (niacin), added to standard glioblastoma treatment, kept 82% of patients progression-free at six months — a 28% improvement over historical benchmarks. Researchers believe niacin helps revive immune cells suppressed by the tumor. Larger studies are still needed to confirm the results.
Glioblastoma, the most aggressive brain cancer in adults, has seen virtually no improvement in survival outcomes over the past 20 years. But researchers at the University of Calgary think a surprisingly simple addition to standard treatment — high-dose vitamin B3 (niacin) — could help change that. Their hypothesis: niacin may help "reawaken" immune cells that glioblastoma actively suppresses, allowing them to better attack the tumor.
The idea originated in mouse studies showing extended survival with niacin treatment, which prompted a combined Phase I/II clinical trial in humans. Participants received controlled-release niacin alongside standard chemotherapy and radiotherapy, with researchers carefully monitoring safety and signs of clinical benefit. The findings were published in the Journal of Neuro-Oncology.
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Why it matters: While the results are preliminary and the sample size small, they clear the researchers' pre-set threshold for continuing the trial. High-dose niacin is not without risks — toxicity is possible without medical supervision — but for a cancer with so few treatment options, even an early promising signal is worth watching closely.
