Could a common metabolic drug help fight brain cancer?

NCT ID NCT05120284

Ongoing Knowledge-focused Sponsor: University of Florida Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026

Summary

This Phase 2 trial tests whether dichloroacetate (DCA), a drug that affects cell energy use, can alter tumor metabolism in people with recurrent glioblastoma. Forty patients scheduled for surgery will either receive DCA or no drug for one week before their operation. Researchers will then compare tumor tissue to see if DCA changes key proteins linked to cancer growth.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: dichloroacetate (DCA)
What this could lead to: If successful, this trial could show that DCA changes tumor metabolism in a way that might lead to new treatment options for glioblastoma.
What could go wrong: This is a small, early-phase study focused on biological markers, not survival or tumor shrinkage. The drug may not show meaningful clinical benefit, and side effects are possible.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

glioblastoma glioma susceptibility 1

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

GLIOBLASTOMA MULTIFORME

Contacts and locations

Locations

Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins

Baltimore, Maryland, 21231, United States
Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 27587, United States

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