Traditional Chinese Formula Chuining Slows Pituitary Tumor Growth by Suppressing KIF20B

A traditional Chinese medicine formula known as Chuining formula (CNF) appears to fight pituitary tumors by promoting cancer cell death and cutting off their glucose supply, according to a new study published in Biological Procedures Online. The research identifies the molecular machinery behind these effects, pointing to a protein called KIF20B as a key target that the formula represses.

Pituitary tumors are the third most prevalent type of intracranial tumor, and they can cause severe clinical syndromes that diminish patients’ quality of life. CNF has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat these tumors, but the active ingredients responsible and the mechanisms at work had not been systematically defined. The new study set out to determine the formula’s major active components, its effects on pituitary tumor cells, and the underlying biology.

Using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with Q Exactive Orbitrap mass spectrometry, the researchers identified 71 active ingredients in CNF. This analytical approach allowed them to chemically characterize the complex herbal mixture before testing its biological activity.

In laboratory experiments, the team used Cell Counting Kit-8 assays to measure cell viability and flow cytometry to assess apoptosis, or programmed cell death. They found that CNF reduced tumor cell growth and promoted apoptosis. The formula also inhibited glycolysis, the process by which tumor cells consume glucose and convert it into lactic acid to fuel rapid growth. Glycolytic activity was evaluated by measuring glucose uptake, lactic acid production, and expression of LDHA, an enzyme central to this metabolic pathway. These effects were observed both in cultured cells and in xenograft tumor models constructed to evaluate tumor growth in living organisms.

To uncover the genetic changes driving these effects, the researchers performed high-throughput mRNA sequencing after CNF treatment and screened the differentially expressed genes. Among the downregulated genes was Kif20b, which encodes kinesin family member 20B, a protein belonging to the kinesin motor family. Follow-up experiments in which the researchers co-treated cells with CNF alongside either Kif20b overexpression or silencing demonstrated that CNF weakens cell growth and glycolysis specifically by repressing Kif20b expression in pituitary tumor cells.

The study also probed how CNF suppresses Kif20b at the level of gene regulation. Lactic acid produced by glycolysis is known to participate in epigenetic modifications, including histone lactylation. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation assays and luciferase reporter assays, the researchers verified that CNF inhibits H3K18 lactylation, a modification of histone protein H3 at lysine 18, and blocks lactic acid/ESR1-mediated transcription of Kif20b. In other words, the formula appears to interfere with a regulatory loop in which lactate-driven histone modification and the transcription factor ESR1 promote Kif20b expression.

By closing this loop, CNF simultaneously restrains glycolysis and lowers KIF20B levels, creating a feedback effect that reduces tumor cell proliferation and increases apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. The authors conclude that these findings provide a molecular basis for the clinical use of CNF to manage pituitary tumors.

The work is notable for combining metabolite profiling, transcriptomics, epigenetic assays, and animal modeling in a single investigation of a traditional formula. However, as with any preclinical study, the results come from cell culture and xenograft models rather than human trials, and further clinical research would be needed to establish safety and efficacy in patients. The article was published on 21 August 2026 as open access research in Biological Procedures Online, with contributions from Jiafeng Duan, Qiujuan Zhang, and Jiahui Lu.

Subject of Research: Mechanism of the traditional Chinese medicine formula Chuining in inhibiting pituitary tumor growth via KIF20B suppression

Article Title: Chuining Formula Promotes Apoptosis and Inhibits Glycolysis in Pituitary Tumor by Inhibiting KIF20B

Article References: Duan, J., Zhang, Q., & Lu, J. (2026). Chuining Formula Promotes Apoptosis and Inhibits Glycolysis in Pituitary Tumor by Inhibiting KIF20B. Biological Procedures Online. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12575-026-00359-9

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s12575-026-00359-9

Keywords: pituitary tumor, Chuining formula, KIF20B, glycolysis, apoptosis, H3K18 lactylation, ESR1, traditional Chinese medicine, xenograft model, mRNA sequencing, lactic acid, LDHA