An old psychiatric drug killed melanoma brain tumor cells in the lab
Original title: Repurposing thioridazine as a novel treatment for melanoma brain metastasis.
How far along is this research?
- Lab cells
- Animals
- Review
- Tested in people
This was done on cells in a lab, not in people. It is a very early step.
This was only done on cells in dishes and lab grown brain tissue, not in people.
The short version
A drug already used for mental illness killed melanoma brain tumor cells in lab dishes.
What was studied. Researchers tested thioridazine, an older antipsychotic medicine, on four melanoma brain tumor cell lines taken from patients. They also tested it on healthy rat brain tissue grown in the lab.
What they found. The drug lowered how many tumor cells stayed alive. Higher doses killed more cells. It also slowed the cells from growing, spreading, and forming new colonies. The healthy lab grown rat brain tissue showed no harm at the doses used. The usual cell death path was not consistent, so the drug seems to work by jamming the way cells clear their own waste.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: This medicine is already used in people for another condition. That can make it quicker to study for new uses. Right now this is only early lab work. It does not change any treatment today.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean the drug treats melanoma brain tumors in people. The work was done on cells in dishes and on lab grown rat brain tissue. No patient was given this drug for a brain tumor in this study. It is not a cure, and it is a long way from everyday care. Do not ask for this drug based on this report.
Source: PubMed, August 6, 2026 · Read the original
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