Co-author of the study, Professor – Dr. Marcus Cooke, Head of the Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Southern California (USA), said that they have found an effective way to destroy malignant tumors by using vitamin C to damage the DNA of cancer cells, leading to their destruction, according to the medical website. Medical Express.
Vitamin C has recently been found to increase DNA damage in tumor cells and cause malignant tumor cell death.
The results found that when treated with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and vitamin C, malignant tumor cells suffered more DNA damage and higher rates of cell death, while normal cells were protected.
In addition, the results also showed that vitamin C also enhanced the effectiveness of the malignant tumor treatment drug Elesclomol.
Professor Cooke, Head of the Oxidative Stress Group, said they had a long history of studying the effects of vitamin C on DNA and skin cells, which helped guide this new research.
When treated with hydrogen peroxide and vitamin C, malignant tumor cells suffered more DNA damage and a higher rate of cell death, while normal cells were protected.
They have been studying the effects of antioxidants since the late 1990s, he said, and were fascinated by the potential of vitamin C. Its ability to induce oxidative stress (which causes DNA damage) and its ability to prevent DNA damage, and its apparent ability to help regulate DNA repair, were among the reasons that led them to this study.
Professor Cooke admits that further research is needed to confirm these results and move towards using vitamin C as an adjunctive treatment for cancer.
Because vitamin C has been well studied and is known to be well tolerated, doctors may use it as an adjunct to treatment to enhance the effectiveness of cancer drugs, he said. Medical Express.