Vitamin C, a Multi-Tasking Molecule, Finds a Molecular Target in Killing Cancer Cells

Reactive Oxygen Species
Robert Li

Abstract

Early work in the 1970s by Linus Pauling, a twice-honored Nobel laureate, led to his proposal of using high-dose vitamin C to treat cancer patients. Over the past several decades, a number of studies in animal models as well as several small-scale clinical studies have provided substantial support of Linus Pauling's early proposal. Production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) via oxidation of vitamin C appears to be a major underlying event, leading to the selective killing of cancer cells. However, it remains unclear how vitamin C selectively kills cancer cells while sparing normal cells and what the molecular targets of high-dose vitamin C are. In a recent article published in Science (2015 December 11; 350(6266):1391-6. doi: 10.1126/science.aaa5004), Yun et al. reported that vitamin C selectively kills KRAS and BRAF mutant colorectal cancer cells by targeting glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) through an ROS-dependent mechanism. This work by Yun et al. along with other findings advances our current understanding of the molecular basis of high-dose vitamin C-mediated cancer cell killing, which will likely give an impetus to the continued research efforts aiming to further decipher the novel biochemistry of vitami...Continue Reading

Citations

Sep 27, 2019·International Journal of Molecular Sciences·Matthias KapplerAlexander W Eckert
Jul 13, 2017·Antioxidants & Redox Signaling·Orazio CantoniMara Fiorani
Apr 11, 2019·Nature Reviews. Cancer·Bryan NgoJihye Yun
Jan 27, 2021·Free Radical Biology & Medicine·Sheetal PandayMahendra Kavdia
Sep 4, 2021·Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry·Y Robert Li, Hong Zhu

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