The unpaved journey of vitamin C in cancer treatment

Abstract

Effectiveness and low-toxicity to normal tissues are ideal properties for a cancer treatment, and one that numerous research programs are aiming for. Vitamin C has long been used in the field of Complementary and Alternative Medicine as a cancer treatment, with profound safety and anecdotal efficacy. Recent studies revealed the scientific basis for this use, and indicated that vitamin C, at supra-nutritional doses, holds considerable promise as an effective and low-toxic therapeutic strategy to treat cancer. Reviewed here are the early controversies surrounding vitamin C and cancer treatment, the breakthrough discoveries that led to the current advancement, and recent clinical studies, as well as research into its mechanisms of action.

High Dose Parenteral Ascorbate Inhibited Pancreatic Cancer Growth and Metastasis: Mechanisms and a Phase I/IIa study

“…A potential problem for multi-targeting agents is collateral/ multiple toxicities. However, pharmacological ascorbate is safe with few adverse events in animals and people 55 . Combination of this unique agent with current 1 st line chemotherapy or radiation therapy may result in additional synergistic effects in treating tumors.…”

Multiple Myeloma Tumor Cells are Selectively Killed by Pharmacologically-dosed Ascorbic Acid

“…Necorosis, caspase-dependent and caspase-independent apoptosis, and autophagy were reported in ascorbate-induced cell death in different types of cancer (Chen et al, 2015). A recent study by Yun and colleagues demonstrated that vitamin C selectively kills KRAS and BRAF mutant colorectal cancer cells by targeting GAPDH, but spares normal cells (Yun et al, 2015).…”

Ascorbyl palmitate/d-α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate monoester mixed micelles for prolonged circulation and targeted delivery of compound K for antilung cancer therapy in vitro and in vivo

“…16,17 Ascorbate has been shown to increase the effectiveness of various anticancer treatments. 18,19 Mixed micelles composed of TPGS and AP are nanosized colloidal particles with a hydrophobic core and a hydrophilic corona. The hydrophobic segment forms the core of the micelles that solubilize the hydrophobic drug molecules, and the hydrophilic segment forms the corona that provides compatibility of the micelles in the aqueous environment.…”