Chinese Study Reveals NMN's Role in Containing Breast Cancer Progression and Spread
The global rise of breast cancer, now surpassing lung cancer, is a worrying trend. The triple negative variant of breast cancer, making up nearly 15% of all cases, has proven to be particularly difficult to manage as it usually circumvents standard treatments. This situation has underscored the pressing need for more effective and safer treatment options for TNBC.
A study published in Oncogene by Luo and his team from Tsinghua University in China indicates that NMN could play a crucial role in controlling TNBC tumor growth in mice. Their research also suggests that NMN may improve survival rates after the onset of cancer and prevent cancer metastasis. These promising results, if applicable to humans, could offer a new approach to contain the progression and spread of TNBC.
Examining NMN's Role in Restraining TNBC Tumor Growth, Metastasis, and Improving Survival Rates
To assess NMN's impact on TNBC tumors, the scientists injected human TNBC cells into immunodeficient mice and monitored tumor sizes while administering 500 mg/kg/day doses of NMN. Results showed that 48 days post tumor cell injections, NMN-treated mice had over 10% smaller tumor volumes compared to mice not receiving NMN. Also, NMN reduced tumor growth and spread in lung tissue by half. These observations affirm NMN's significant effect in slowing TNBC tumor growth and substantially curbing its metastasis to other organs.
The team also investigated the implications of NMN's ability to slow tumor growth and spread on lifespan. Their findings showed that NMN extended the median remaining lifespan by approximately 15% post-cancer cell injection. This suggests that NMN, by inhibiting cancer growth, enhances lifespan after the onset of TNBC.
Boosting the levels of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) with NMN precursor activates Sirtuin 1, a protein that promotes longevity by repairing DNA and neutralizing damaging reactive oxygen species in cells. This led the researchers to theorize that NMN's anti-cancer benefits stem from activating Sirtuin 1. To test this theory, they genetically removed Sirtuin 1 and observed that without this protein, NMN's effect on TNBC metastasis was negligible. However, with Sirtuin 1, NMN significantly hinders TNBC metastasis, suggesting that Sirtuin 1 function is likely a key driver in NMN's anti-cancer and anti-metastasis properties.
"Supplementation with NAD+ successfully inhibited TNBC progression," noted Luo and his team.
Dosage Could Play a Critical Role in NMN's Anti-cancer Properties
Interestingly, despite NMN's proven ability to reduce tumor growth, it did not entirely stop tumor cell proliferation. This might suggest that NMN could be enhancing the anti-cancer immune cell response, leading to restrained tumor growth. Further, another study using a lower dose of 250 mg/kg/day found NMN had no significant impact on tumor growth, indicating that higher doses may be necessary to harness NMN’s full anti-cancer benefits.
Given that abrasive chemotherapy is currently a primary treatment for TNBC, NMN's potential to slow TNBC tumor growth and spread could be a valuable addition to the anti-cancer treatment portfolio. Future clinical studies are needed to determine NMN's effectiveness against human TNBC.
"Through our study, we have provided evidence that targeting NAD+ metabolism could be a feasible therapeutic strategy against TNBC, and we look forward to replicating these results in human trials," stated Luo and his colleagues.
Conclusion
The findings from Luo and his team's research illuminate a promising path for the treatment of TNBC, a notably resilient form of breast cancer. The evidence that NMN can curb the growth and spread of TNBC, and potentially enhance the survival rates, offers a beacon of hope in the face of a challenging disease. However, it's essential to note that the results are preliminary, based on studies in mice, and the application to human cases requires further investigation. Future clinical trials will play a crucial role in translating these findings into effective treatments for patients battling TNBC. Should these trials prove successful, NMN could emerge as a potent weapon in the fight against this formidable form of cancer.
Research and Dosage Specifics
- Model: Six to eight-week-old NCG mice
- Dosage: Daily administration of 500 mg/kg for a period of 45 weeks.