Simple Supplement Pair Shows Early Promise Against Aggressive Brain Cancer

Glioblastoma, one of the most lethal and fast-moving forms of brain cancer, may one day be treated with the help of two widely available dietary supplements, according to early findings from a new clinical study.

The compounds under investigation are resveratrol and copper, both classified as nutraceuticals; plant- or food-derived substances believed to offer health benefits beyond basic nutrition.

In a trial conducted at Tata Memorial Hospital in India, 10 glioblastoma patients scheduled for surgery were given tablets containing resveratrol and copper prior to their procedures.

Scientists then examined tumor tissue removed during surgery and compared it with samples from a control group of 10 glioblastoma patients who underwent surgery without receiving the supplements.

While the findings are still preliminary, researchers stress that the analysis focused on molecular markers within the tumors rather than long-term outcomes such as tumor shrinkage or disease progression, as the cancers were surgically removed about two weeks after supplementation began.

“These results suggest that a simple, inexpensive and non-toxic nutraceutical tablet potentially has the power to heal glioblastoma,” said cancer surgeon and public health researcher Indraneel Mittra.

The study found that a protein associated with cancer growth was reduced by nearly one-third in tumor samples from patients who received the supplement combination, compared with those who did not. However, researchers observed no visible changes indicating that the tumors were less aggressive in appearance.

Additional analysis showed that proteins known to suppress immune responses against cancer were reduced by an average of 41 percent in tissue from treated patients.

Markers linked to cancer stem cells, which play a role in tumor growth and recurrence, were also significantly lower, with three such biomarkers reduced by 56 percent in samples from the treatment group.

Importantly, researchers reported no significant side effects from the supplements. The clinical trial is ongoing and aims to enroll 66 patients, who will be monitored with scans every six months for at least two years to determine whether the treatment has any impact on survival.

“The cell-free chromatin particles, fragments of DNA released by dying cancer cells, inflame the surviving cancer cells,” Mittra explained. “This makes the disease more aggressive.”

“If you eliminate the cell-free chromatin, which is what the resveratrol-copper tablets do, the cancer is subdued.”

Given the extremely poor survival rates associated with glioblastoma, scientists worldwide are exploring alternative approaches, and this study offers a potential new direction.

“We have been trying to kill cancer cells for 2,500 years, since the time of the ancient Greeks, without success,” Mittra said.

“Maybe it is time to look at cancer treatment differently and work towards healing tumors, rather than annihilating them” with chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

While the early results are encouraging, researchers caution that definitive conclusions will depend on the long-term outcomes of the full trial, which could take several years to complete. The findings have been published in BJC Reports.