A farm animal drug is being studied as a possible cancer treatment
Original title: From veterinary antibiotic to cancer therapy: revisiting anticancer potential of Monensin.
How far along is this research?
- Lab cells
- Animals
- Review
- Tested in people
This looks across many earlier studies rather than running a new one.
This work was only done in the lab and in animals, not in people.
The short version
Monensin, a drug used in animals, has slowed or killed cancer cells in early lab studies, including brain tumor cells.
What was studied. This is a review paper. The authors gathered results from earlier lab and animal studies that tested a drug called monensin against many kinds of cancer.
What they found. Across these studies, monensin slowed cancer cell growth and caused cancer cells to die. It appeared to work in many cancer types, including breast, prostate, pancreatic, ovarian, cervical, kidney, bladder, liver, and thyroid cancer, plus leukemia and lymphoma. In glioblastoma: The fastest-growing type of glioma (grade 4). Treatment usually starts soon after diagnosis: surgery first, then radiation and chemotherapy. See the glossary, a type of brain tumor, it acted against the tumor and also against the new blood vessels that tumors use to grow.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: Researchers see enough here to keep testing monensin against cancer. For now it points to a direction for future research, not a treatment option you can ask for.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean monensin treats brain tumors in people. All of the work described here is early, done in cells and animals, not in patients. There is no proof it is safe or helpful for a person with a brain tumor. It is not a cure, and it is a long way from everyday care. Do not take a veterinary drug.
Source: PubMed, July 30, 2026 · Read the original
This plain-language summary was written by AI and published automatically after passing our automatic safety checks. How we write.