https://newatlas.com/medical/antioxidants-stimulate-blood-vessel-growth-cancer-tumors/ * SUBSCRIBE AD-FREE * LOG IN * HOME * LIFESTYLE + Health & Wellbeing + Outdoors + Tiny Houses + Architecture + Around the Home + Good Thinking + Holiday Destinations + View all LIFESTYLE categories + Health & Wellbeing + Outdoors + Tiny Houses + Architecture + Around the Home + Good Thinking + Holiday Destinations + View all LIFESTYLE categories * SCIENCE + Energy + Medical + Space + Materials + Biology + Environment + Physics + View all SCIENCE categories + Energy + Medical + Space + Materials + Biology + Environment + Physics + View all SCIENCE categories * TECHNOLOGY + Photography + Military + Mobile Technology + Games + Drones + Home Entertainment + Deals + View all TECHNOLOGY categories + Photography + Military + Mobile Technology + Games + Drones + Home Entertainment + Deals + View all TECHNOLOGY categories * TRANSPORT + Automotive + Aircraft + Bicycles + Motorcycles + Marine + Urban Transport + View all TRANSPORT categories + Automotive + Aircraft + Bicycles + Motorcycles + Marine + Urban Transport + View all TRANSPORT categories (c) 2023 New Atlas New Atlas logo Menu * HOME * LIFESTYLE + Health & Wellbeing + Outdoors + Tiny Houses + Architecture + Around the Home + Good Thinking + Holiday Destinations + View all LIFESTYLE categories * SCIENCE + Energy + Medical + Space + Materials + Biology + Environment + Physics + View all SCIENCE categories * TECHNOLOGY + Photography + Military + Mobile Technology + Games + Drones + Home Entertainment + Deals + View all TECHNOLOGY categories * TRANSPORT + Automotive + Aircraft + Bicycles + Motorcycles + Marine + Urban Transport + View all TRANSPORT categories * SUBSCRIBE AD-FREE * LOG IN Show Search [ ]Search Query Submit Search Medical Antioxidants such as vitamin C found to spur cancer growth & metastasis By Paul McClure August 31, 2023 * Facebook * Twitter * Flipboard * LinkedIn Inline image / # Antioxidants such as vitamin C found to spur cancer growth & metastasis New research has found that antioxidants can stimulate the growth of blood vessels in cancer tumors New research has found that antioxidants can stimulate the growth of blood vessels in cancer tumors Depositphotos View 1 Image 1/1 New research has found that antioxidants can stimulate the growth of blood vessels in cancer tumors Depositphotos [icon-mouse-sc] A new study has found that antioxidants like vitamins C and E activate a mechanism that stimulates the growth of new blood vessels in cancer tumors, helping them to grow and spread. The researchers say their findings highlight the potential risk of taking antioxidant supplements when they're not needed. To grow and metastasize, cancer tumors need a constant supply of oxygen- and nutrient-rich blood. And that requires the formation of new blood vessels from existing ones, a process called angiogenesis. When tissues are starved of oxygen (hypoxia), cancer cells in the affected area send chemical signals to get the endothelial cells that line the blood vessels to form new vessels. A new study by researchers at Sweden's Karolinska Institutet has examined mechanisms of angiogenesis and found that antioxidants play an unexpected role in the growth and spread of tumors. "We've found that antioxidants activate a mechanism that causes cancer tumors to form new blood vessels, which is surprising since it was previously thought that antioxidants have a protective effect," said Martin Bergo, the study's corresponding author. "The new blood vessels nourish the tumors and can help them grow and spread." Normally, antioxidants scavenge free oxygen radicals from the body's cells and prevent or reduce the damage caused by oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is known to damage DNA and regulate the progression of various cancers, including those of the breast, lung, liver, colon, prostate, ovary and brain. "There's no need to fear antioxidants in normal food, but most people don't need additional amounts of them," said Bergo. "In fact, it can be harmful for cancer patients and people with an elevated cancer risk." The researchers had shown previously that antioxidants like vitamins C and E accelerated the growth and spread of lung cancer by stabilizing a protein called BACH1. The protein is activated when the levels of free oxygen radicals in the body drop, which can happen when extra antioxidants are introduced into the diet, or when spontaneous mutations occur in tumors, activating the production of antioxidants. In the current study, the researchers conducted most of their work on lung cancer using organoids with lung cancers cultivated from patients, but also did studies on mice and samples of human breast and kidney tumors. They found that tumors in which BACH1 was activated, either by the ingestion of antioxidants or by overexpression of the BACH1 gene, produced more new blood vessels and were highly sensitive to angiogenesis inhibitors. Angiogenesis inhibitor drugs are used to treat cancer, but the effects are varied, and they can produce nasty side effects. "Many clinical trials have evaluated the efficacy of angiogenesis inhibitors, but the results have not been as successful as anticipated," said Ting Wang, the study's lead author. The researchers found that BACH1 can also induce angiogenesis by a mechanism that doesn't require hypoxia; that is, tumors can form new blood vessels in the presence of normal oxygen levels. They also found that BACH1 is regulated similarly to the protein hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1-alpha), whose expression has been implicated in angiogenesis-driven tumor growth and metastasis, suggesting that the two proteins work together. "Our study opens the door to more effective ways of preventing angiogenesis in tumors," Wang said. "For example, patients whose tumors exhibit high levels of BACH1 might benefit more from anti-angiogenesis therapy than patients with low BACH1 levels." The researchers are already looking ahead to future studies. "The next step is to examine in detail how levels of oxygen and free radicals can regulate the BACH1 protein, and we will continue to determine the clinical relevance of our results," said Wang. "We'll also be doing similar studies in other cancer forms such as breast, kidney and skin cancer." The study was published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation. Source: Karolinska Institutet Tags MedicalAntioxidantCancerMetastasisKarolinska Institutet * Facebook * Twitter * Flipboard * LinkedIn 3 comments Paul McClure Paul McClure Before realizing his writing passion, Paul worked as an intensive care nurse and a criminal defense lawyer for many years. He has a keen interest in mental health and addiction, chronic illness, and medical technology. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and creative writing in 2022, Paul joined New Atlas in 2023. Before starting with New Atlas, Paul had written for several online publications in the areas of health and well-being, parenting, entertainment, and popular culture. Most Viewed * Thule reveals a different style of vehicle-mounted tent ahead of a Spring 2024 launch Outdoors Thule Outset detachable hitch tent drops rooftop car camping to ground * The US DoD is hoping its Replicator initiative, to mass-manufacture autonomous weapons systems across all domains, will counter China's superior manpower if or when it decides to invade Taiwan Military US military plans to thwart China with 1,000s of autonomous war drones * Driven has built at least three prototype bikes to demonstrate the Orbit drive Bicycles Continuously variable ebike transmission promises up to 20% more range Load More 3 comments Sign in to post a comment. Please keep comments to less than 150 words. No abusive material or spam will be published. michael_dowling September 1, 2023 05:52 AM Isn't that lovely news! I have been taking 2 grams of C daily for the last 50 years,lately in the form of time released C. The supplement makers are not going to like this news. BlueOak September 1, 2023 08:59 AM Kinda scary, if valid. Vitamin C might be one of the most common supplements people take. Al Martin September 4, 2023 10:47 AM As I recall Cancer cells have to ferment glucose in the blood in order to survive and grow. And as I understand it, cancer cells are not as adept as your own cells in competition for available glucose. Also I believe that there are studies that show in laboratory settings that Vitamin C with its similar molecular structure to glucose can often mislead cancer cells into attaching to it. The results as I understand it are that the Cancer cells die! Like most studies I think we need to know about the parameters of the study including the health of the participants and potential medical issues that may already have been underway. Saving comment... [ ] Post New Atlas logo GET OUR NEWSLETTER Over 220,000 people receive our email newsletter. Get your daily dose of extraordinary ideas! 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