{
  "id": 170968,
  "title": "What does the new research on Vitamin B12-based therapy for brain cancer reveal?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/05/what-does-the-new-research-on-vitamin-b12-based-therapy-for-brain",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-08-05T09:43:27.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu Health",
    "slug": "the-hindu-health",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/what-does-the-new-research-on-vitamin-b12-based-therapy-for-brain-cancer-reveal/article71280471.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Recent research published in Oncoscience has sparked interest in a novel approach to treating Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), one of the deadliest types of brain cancers. This innovative therapy utilizes a modified variant of vitamin B12, known as nitrosylcobalamin (NO-Cbl). Unlike traditional vitamin B12 supplements, NO-Cbl incorporates nitric oxide, a substance capable of selectively killing tumor cells. The unique aspect of this therapy lies in its ability to traverse the blood-brain barrier (BBB), a natural protective mechanism in the brain that typically restricts the passage of anticancer drugs.\n\nIn preclinical studies conducted on experimental animals, NO-Cbl was able to effectively pass through the BBB and accumulate in tumor cells. After 24 hours of drug administration, high levels of nitrate, a marker of nitric oxide delivery, persisted in the tumor cells while declining in normal cells. This significant finding suggests that NO-Cbl could provide a targeted way to deliver chemotherapy drugs, such as temozolomide, more effectively to glioblastoma cells. When combined with other anticancer treatments like temozolomide and TRAIL, the therapy demonstrated synergistic effects in suppressing tumor growth in laboratory tests.\n\nThe researchers emphasize that this study, while promising, is still in its early stages and lacks clinical validation. It is classified as preclinical, involving only experimental and animal studies. To be considered a viable treatment option for human patients, NO-Cbl therapy will need to undergo rigorous clinical trials. If these trials confirm the safety and efficacy of the treatment, it could represent a major breakthrough in the field of neuro-oncology, particularly in addressing the challenge of delivering targeted therapy to brain tumors.",
  "summary": "The experiment found that a modified analogue of vitamin B12 known as nitrosylcobalamin (NO-Cbl) that was specifically designed to include nitric oxide, a substance that can kill tumour cells selectively, managed to pass the blood-brain barrier. While the research looks promising, there is still a long way to go before it can be applied to patients",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}