Ascorbic acid and ascorbate-2-phosphate decrease HIF activity and malignant properties of human melanoma cells

[D.ap]

Article information
BMC Cancer. 2015; 15: 867.
Published online 2015 Nov 7. doi: 10.1186/s12885-015-1878-5


Conclusion
Our studies suggest a positive role for ascorbic acid in regulating HIF-1α in melanoma. The addition of ascorbic acid can effectively reduce the amount of stabilized HIF-1α found under normoxic conditions in both vertical growth phase WM1366 and WM9 metastatic melanoma cells. The addition of ascorbic acid also significantly reduces the transcriptional activity of HIF-1α in WM9 metastatic melanoma cells, resulting in decreased invasive potential. Our data supports the function of AA as a critical cofactor for PHD, restoring PHD function to reduce protein accumulation, and likely FIH activity resulting in significant reduction of HIF-1α transcriptional activity. However, there may also be non-PHD mediated mechanisms by which AA reduces the level of the HIF-1α protein. The overexpression of intra-tumor HIF-1α, as well as ascorbic acid deficiency has been noted not only in melanoma, but in other tumor types as well. Further studies to evaluate the causes of ascorbic acid deficiency and its role in the loss of HIF-1α regulation in malignancy are needed. The use of ascorbic acid as a non-toxic adjuvant therapy to aid in the inhibition of HIF-1α activity in order to reduce tumor progression and improve patient response to clinical therapy warrants further investigation.


https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4636772/

[D.ap]

https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/tre ... amin-c-pdq

[Bonni Hess]

Thank you for sharing this important information Debbie which should be of special interest for Cindy regarding her question in the Personal Updates section about Vitamin C infusion treatment as a possibility for Sam. This article seems to indicate that the results of Vitamin C infusions are somewhat mixed with some indication that Vitamin C infusions can actually sometimes interfere with the effectiveness of some cbemotherapies and even cause disease progression. As always, any treatment needs to be thoroughly researched and discussed with the oncologist. With deepest gratitude for your thoughtful sharing, and with continued Hope, Bonni

[Olga]

Once again - till the clinical trial is done we do not know the result. The article study is a research in a perti dish, in cells culture and are of minimal interest from the practical point of view - when combined with other factors that going on in the human body the result is different.