An herbal formula slowed brain tumor growth in mice
Original title: Liu Wei formula ameliorates EGFR-induced malignant glioma progression by regulating EGFR/PI3K/AKT pathway and T-cell antitumor immunity.
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.
The main results came from mice and lab tests, with no proper trial in people yet.
The short version
A traditional Chinese herbal mix slowed glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells, the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are graded 1 to 4 by how fast they tend to grow. See the glossary growth in mice, but this is early lab and animal work.
What was studied. Researchers tested a herbal formula called Liu Wei formula (LWF) in mice that had glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells, the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are graded 1 to 4 by how fast they tend to grow. See the glossary tumors. They also ran lab tests to see which parts of the formula act on tumor cells and which cell signals they change.
What they found. The formula slowed tumor growth in the mice. Lab tests showed it blocked a set of cell signals called EGFR/PI3K/AKT, which can drive glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells, the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are graded 1 to 4 by how fast they tend to grow. See the glossary growth. It also raised the share of a type of immune cell, CD8+ T cells, in the mice. Two ingredients, baicalin and luteolin, appeared to do much of the work. The authors also report that patients taking the formula had lasting antitumor activity and less dizziness, headache, and nausea.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: This gives scientists a possible reason why this herbal formula might help. It points to specific ingredients worth studying further. It does not tell you whether the formula would help you, or in what dose.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean there is a new treatment you can ask for. Most of this work was done in mice and in lab tests, not in a proper trial in people. The authors themselves say more clinical research is needed to know if it works in patients. It is not proof, and it is not a cure. Herbal products can also affect other medicines, so talk to your care team before taking anything new.
Source: PubMed, July 13, 2026 · Read the original
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