Diabetes drug could fight rare brain cancer in kids
NCT ID NCT07226453
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Aug 14, 2026 · Updated 5 times
Summary
This study tests whether metformin, a common diabetes medicine, can help children and young adults with a rare brain tumor called PFA ependymoma that has come back. About 30 participants will take metformin and have surgery and imaging to see if the drug changes certain proteins in the tumor and slows its growth. The goal is to find a new way to control this hard-to-treat cancer.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Metformin (Glucophage)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could point toward a new treatment option for a rare brain tumor that currently has few options after standard therapy.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase trial with only 30 participants. Metformin is not a standard cancer drug, and it may not slow tumor growth or improve outcomes.
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.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Children's National Hospital
NOT_YET_RECRUITINGWashington D.C., District of Columbia, 20010, United States
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Duke University Medical Center
RECRUITINGDurham, North Carolina, 27710, United States
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Johns Hopkins Hospital
RECRUITINGBaltimore, Maryland, 21287, United States
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Joseph M. Sanzari Children's Hospital at Hackensack University Medical Center
NOT_YET_RECRUITINGHackensack, New Jersey, 07601, United States
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St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
NOT_YET_RECRUITINGMemphis, Tennessee, 38105, United States
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St. Louis Children's Hospital, Washington University in St. Louis
RECRUITINGSt Louis, Missouri, 63110, United States
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UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, University of California, San Francisco
RECRUITINGSan Francisco, California, 94143, United States
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University of Alabama at Birmingham, Children's of Alabama
NOT_YET_RECRUITINGBirmingham, Alabama, 35233, United States
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University of Michigan, C.S. Mott Children's Hospital
NOT_YET_RECRUITINGAnn Arbor, Michigan, 48109, United States
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University of Utah, Primary Children's Hospital
NOT_YET_RECRUITINGSalt Lake City, Utah, 84113, United States