The discovery was made by University of Missouri researchers who studied the effects of nicotinamide riboside supplements on the human body using bioluminescent imaging technology.
In previous research, commercial dietary supplements such as nicotinamide riboside (NR), a vitamin B3 derivative, have been linked to benefits for cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurological health. But according to recent studies at the University of Missouri (MU), NR may increase your risk of major diseases, including cancer.
It has been found that high NR levels increase the risk of developing triple-negative breast cancer, as well as the likelihood of the cancer metastasizing or spreading to the brain. Elena Goun, associate professor of chemistry at MU and lead author of the study, served as team leader for the multinational group of researchers. Because no effective treatment is currently available, she claimed the results were fatal once the cancer had spread to the brain.
Although little is known about how vitamins and supplements actually work, Goun noted that some people naturally only take them because they believe they will have positive health benefits. As a result of this knowledge gap, we were motivated to explore the fundamental issues of how vitamins and supplements work in the body.
When his 59-year-old father passed away just three months after he was diagnosed with colon cancer, Goun was inspired by his father's death to study for a deeper scientific knowledge of cancer metabolism, or the energy by which cancer spreads throughout the body. Goun sought to look at the role of NR in the growth and spread of cancer because NR is a supplement known to help increase cellular energy levels, and cancer cells feed off of this energy through their increased metabolism.
According to Goun, there are many active human clinical trials and wide commercial availability as NR is used to reduce the side effects of cancer treatment in patients. This makes his work even more important.
Using this method, the researchers compared and evaluated NR levels in cancer cells, T cells, and healthy tissues.
According to Goun, NR is now widely used in humans and is being investigated in many ongoing clinical trials for further applications, though how NR works is still a mystery. “As a result, we developed this new imaging technique based on ultra-sensitive bioluminescent imaging that enables non-invasive real-time measurement of NR levels. Light is used to indicate the presence of NR, and the more light there is, the more NR there is.
According to Goun, the study's findings highlight the importance of thoroughly examining the potential side effects of supplements such as NR before using them in individuals who may have a variety of health problems. Goun hopes to share information in the future that could result in the creation of specific inhibitors to make chemotherapy and other cancer treatments work better against the disease. Goun stressed that seeing this strategy through the lens of individualized medicine is key to its success.
According to Goun, not every person's cancer is the same, according to metabolic markers. “Cancers often change their metabolism before or after chemotherapy.”
source: scitechdaily
Günceleme: 14/11/2022 17:45
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