Cancer
Pro-Vitamin E effective against breast cancer
By Ben Wasserman - foodconsumer.org
Dec 9, 2006 - 10:07:36 AM

Pro-vitamin E shown to be active against breast cancer cells

GOLD COAST, Australia – A precursor of vitamin E known as alpha-tocopheryl succinate may be used to effectively treat breast cancer with high levels of human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2), a new Australian study suggests.

HER2 shows up in about 30% of breast cancers at high levels – a feature that appears to make the disease resistant to many common treatments including chemotherapy.

Researches in Griffith University’s School of Medical Science found that alpha-tocopheryl succinate (alpha-TOS) can reduce tumor size in experimental animals with high levels of HER2.

In the study, Associate Professor Jiri Neuzil and colleagues treated transgenic mice with high HER2 breast cancer alpha-TOS for a three-week period and tumor size was monitored every three days by ultrasound imaging.

Although alpha-TOS is effective alone, it can be more effective when the agent is delivered into the tumor cells in a conjugate form with a targeting peptide, researchers said.

"Tumor volume reduced more than 50% when animals were treated with the conjugate rather than free alpha-TOS," Associate Professor Neuzil said.

"Alpha-TOS has already shown promise as a potent anticancer agent in diseases such as colon cancer and mesothelioma. It induces controlled cell death or apoptosis in tumor cells."

Neuzil said alpha-TOS may potentially serve as an inexpensive, safe and selective therapy for hard-to-treat breast cancers. Alpha-TOS can be metabolized in the liver to vitamin E and unlikely to cause dangerous side effects.

The results of the study will be presented at the Gold Coast Health and Medical Research Conference - an initiative of the Griffith Institute of Health and Medical Research to be held at the Radisson Palm Meadows Resort, Gold Coast between December 14 and 15.