Written from the studies on PubMed, searched on 2026. nov. 11.. Every number below comes from a study listed under Sources.
The claim
Posts online say that statins helps with glioblastoma.
Where research stands
We found 40 published papers on statins and glioblastoma. They were published between 1998 and 2026. 2 of them are studies in people. None of them compared people who got it with a group that did not. 10 were studies in animals, and 17 were only in cells in the lab. 2 papers are reviews that sum up other studies. 4 new studies in people are running or will start soon, says the trial register ClinicalTrials.gov.
- 2In people
- 10In animals
- 17Only in the lab
What the studies found
We have not summed up these studies in words yet. The most important papers are listed under Sources.
Verdict
Statins has been studied in people with glioblastoma, but not in randomised trials.
What this means for you: A study in people is not proof that it helps you. Do not stop or change your medicines because of it. Ask your doctor before you start taking it.
Sources
- Atorvastatin in combination with radiotherapy and temozolomide for glioblastoma: a prospective phase II study.2021 · Invest New Drugs · Study in people
- A phase I-II trial of lovastatin for anaplastic astrocytoma and glioblastoma multiforme.1998 · Am J Clin Oncol · Study in people
- The effects of statin therapy on brain tumors, particularly glioma: a review.2023 · Anticancer Drugs · Review
- Whether statin use improves the survival of patients with glioblastoma?: A meta-analysis.2020 · Medicine (Baltimore) · Review
- Atorvastatin-Driven Methuosis in Glioblastoma: A Biomimetic Nanodrug for Targeted Tumor Therapy.2026 · ACS Nano · In animals
- Enhanced Intranasal Delivery of Atorvastatin via Superparamagnetic Iron-Oxide-Loaded Nanocarriers: Cytotoxicity and Inflammation Evaluation and In Vivo, In Silico, and Network Pharmacology Study for Targeting Glioblastoma Management.2025 · Pharmaceuticals (Basel) · In animals
- Identification of MGMT promoter methylation as a specific lipid metabolism biomarker, reveals the feasibility of atorvastatin application in glioblastoma.2024 · Metabolism · In animals
- Metformin and simvastatin exert additive antitumour effects in glioblastoma via senescence-state: clinical and translational evidence.2023 · EBioMedicine · In animals
- Temozolomide, Simvastatin and Acetylshikonin Combination Induces Mitochondrial-Dependent Apoptosis in GBM Cells, Which Is Regulated by Autophagy.2023 · Biology (Basel) · In animals
- Nose-to-brain delivery of simvastatin mediated by chitosan-coated lipid-core nanocapsules allows for the treatment of glioblastoma in vivo.2022 · Int J Pharm · In animals
- Combined Effects of Atorvastatin and Glucose Deprivation on Metabolic Stress and Lipid-Raft Disruption in Glioblastoma and Breast Cancer Cells.2025 · Pharmaceutics · In the lab
- Synergistic activity of simvastatin and irinotecan chemotherapy against glioblastoma converges on TGF-β signaling.2025 · J Neurooncol · In the lab
- The anti-angiogenic effect of atorvastatin loaded exosomes on glioblastoma tumor cells: An in vitro 3D culture model.2022 · Microvasc Res · In the lab
- Simvastatin Induces Unfolded Protein Response and Enhances Temozolomide-Induced Cell Death in Glioblastoma Cells.2020 · Cells · In the lab
- A multicohort machine-learning prognostic signature reveals inflammatory immune remodeling and statin sensitivity in glioblastoma.2026 · Front Oncol · Other paper
- Correction: Dastghaib et al. Simvastatin Induces Unfolded Protein Response and Enhances Temozolomide-Induced Cell Death in Glioblastoma Cells. Cells 2020, 9, 2339.2024 · Cells · Other paper
- Simvastatin Inhibits Tumor Growth and Migration by Mediating Caspase-1-Dependent Pyroptosis in Glioblastoma Multiforme.2022 · World Neurosurg · Other paper
- Inverse screening of Simvastatin kinase targets from glioblastoma druggable kinome.2020 · Comput Biol Chem · Other paper
