A gut substance slowed brain tumor growth in mice
Original title: 3-hydroxy-3-methylbutyrate (3H3MB) suppresses glioma growth and extends survival in mice.
How far along is this research?
- Lab cells
- Animals
- Review
- Tested in people
This was done in animals, not people. Most findings at this stage never become treatments.
This was only done in mice and in cells in a dish.
The short version
A natural substance from the gut slowed brain tumors in mice and helped them live longer.
What was studied. Researchers studied mice with a brain tumor called glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells, the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are given a grade from 1 to 4 describing how the tumor is expected to behave. See the glossary. The mice had low gut levels of a substance called 3H3MB, so the team gave it to them by mouth. They also tested it on mouse glioma cells and human glioblastoma: A glioma that is given grade 4, the highest grade. It grows fast. Treatment usually starts soon after it is found. It often means surgery, then radiation and chemotherapy. See the glossary cells in a dish.
What they found. Mice given the substance had smaller tumors than mice that did not get it. Fewer tumor cells were growing, and the treated mice lived longer. In the dish, the substance slowed cell growth and made the cells move and spread less.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: This points to the gut as a place to look for new brain tumor treatments. The substance has already been studied in people for other health problems. That could make it easier to test in people later. For now it is only an early lead.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean there is a new treatment for people. The work was done in mice and in cells in a dish, which is the earliest stage of research. Many things that work in mice do not work in people. It is far from everyday care, and it is not a promise of a cure.
Source: PubMed, September 17, 2026 · Read the original
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