In a recent pre-clinical study, scientists at the Ho Lab looked at NAD booster Nicotinamide Riboside “NR” (FAQs) (Reviews) and its impact on cancer growth. One key conclusion: “Collectively, these findings reveal that supplementation with NR alleviates mitochondrial dysfunction and further induces additive anti-tumor immunity in conjunction with ICB (immune checkpoint blockade) treatments”. These findings are somewhat consistent with what Dr. Charles Brenner (NAD expert and discoverer of NR as an NAD precursor vitamin) has said about NR and cancer on various platforms over the last year:
Dr Charles Brenner on the PRECISIONE: The Healthcast Podcast (May 2020):
“We’re interested in a number of types of cancer that disturb the NAD system.
We’re interested in virtually every type of neuropathy, diabetic neuropathy, chemotherapeutic neuropathy, some kinds of central brain injury that affect the NAD system.”
Dr Brenner on The Genius Life Podcast (December 2020):
“…One of the things that we see in the laboratory is protection of diabetic nerve and chemotherapy induced damaged nerves — chemotherapeutic neuropathy, diabetic neuropathy.
And so we did diabetic neuropathy in male mice.
Our collaborator Donna Hammond at the University of Iowa did chemotherapeutic neuropathy in female rats.
And Dr Hammond is thinking…
“…this Nicotinamide Riboside (NR) is amazing. It’s protecting rats from chemotherapeutic neuropathy. Wouldn’t that be something amazing if women undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer could supplement with NR and potentially be spared the neuropathy that you get.”
So, everybody asked her the same question:
“Will boosting NAD promote tumor growth?“
And they’ve recently shown that it doesn’t — and if anything, it’s protective.
In models of liver cancer, NR was protective.
In models of breast cancer, NR is protective — we think largely because DNA repair is better, cellular fidelity processes are better.
Is it conceivable that there are some tumors that could be driven by higher NAD?
Conceivable.
But there’s no evidence of that.
And, in fact, in the largest studies that have been done — not with NR but with conventional Niacin — there’s an association between higher B3 use and lower skin cancer.
And that’s human populations, big numbers.
So, we don’t think that’s likely to be a big problem.“
Dr Brenner Responding to Questions on Twitter (May 2020):
Q: If someone has had or has cancer would you recommend them taking NR?
Dr Brenner: Niagen (NR) is being tested as a molecule to protect against chemotherapeutic neuropathy—work is funded by @theNCI (National Cancer Institute)
Q (Part #1): What are your thoughts about the controversy regarding NAD precursors promoting/suppressing cancer?
Dr Brenner: Cancer is not one thing. B3 is powerfully protective against cancer in large clinical trials
Q (Part #2): True, but B3 isn’t touted as a longevity boosting molecule; does it not induce flushing and is it not a less efficient precursor to NAD than, say, NR or NMN? Zhang et al. (2019) warn about “potential detrimental pro-tumorigenic side effects” of supplements
Dr Brenner: In their very peculiar mouse model, they did make such a warning.”
RELATED:
- Dr Hammond (mentioned above) is currently recruiting for a human clinical study titled “NR in Chemo-induced Peripheral Neuropathy“.
- What does NR expert Dr. Brenner think about new research concluding NR might increase cancer risk? (Link)
- Does NMN Stimulate Cancer Growth? Dr. David Sinclair Explains (Link)
- Nicotinamide Mononucleotide “NMN” (FAQs)
- Nicotinamide Riboside “NR” (FAQs) (Consumer Reviews)
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Lewis Jacobson
This is far too complex a subject for one-liners from interviews. Some counter-examples, NR promotes activity of PARP, but PARP INHIBITORS are often used in cancer chemotherapy. Most chemo aims to leave DNA damage in tumors UN-repaired, but NR promotes repair. “NR alleviates mitochondrial dysfunction” — true, but mitochondrial dysfunction in tumor cells promotes apoptosis, which kills cancer cells. I take NR and support CDXC, but it is dangerous to over-simplify.