A new study from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory shows that a compound related to vitamin K slowed the progression of prostate cancer in laboratory mice, prompting further research into one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in men. provide a path to
The study, published in this week’s new issue of the journal Science, describes how scientist Lloyd Trotman and his colleagues administered menadione, the active ingredient in vitamin K, to mice. . They discovered that this compound, also known as vitamin K3, causes activation of vitamin K3. Some cancer cells rupture and die.
“We now know that prooxidants like menadione have a lot of therapeutic potential,” Trotman said. In this study, healthy cells survived, but cancer cells did not.
Trotman, whose lab conducted the study, said he hopes to see the same results in humans. . But first, scientists need to determine, among other things, the best way to administer the compound to prostate cancer patients.
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A new study from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory shows that a compound related to vitamin K slowed the progression of prostate cancer in laboratory mice. Scientists at the lab that conducted the study said they expected the same results to be obtained in humans. Prostate cancer is the second most common. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, men have the highest rate of cancer in the United States.
He said some patients in the early stages of the disease do not need treatment, but are being monitored to ensure their cancer does not progress.
“I get regular blood tests or biopsies every six months or so to see if my cells are becoming more aggressive,” said Trotman, who is also a professor at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. said. “I think that’s the ideal target audience.”
Although the majority of patients are men, there are no “clear instructions” for some men at that stage.
Dr. Manish Vila, chief of urology at Northwell Health Cancer Institute, agreed that the first group of men to study the effects of menadione should be patients with early-stage prostate cancer.
“If we can give this drug to slow the progression of the cancer or slow its growth, we may be able to slow the progression of the cancer until treatment is no longer needed,” Villa said. “The trick with prostate cancer is that the problem doesn’t happen right away. Most men with prostate cancer, even if they treat something today, will have five, 10, 15, or even possible problems. We’re trying to prevent the outcome,” even 20 years from now. ”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, prostate cancer is the second most common cancer for men in the United States, surpassed only by non-melanoma skin cancer.
The agency announced that 236,659 cases of prostate cancer were reported in 2021, and 33,363 men died from prostate cancer in 2022.
But between 2017 and 2021, screening successfully detected 70% of prostate cancers at the local stage, according to CDC data. This means that the cancer is confined to the prostate and has not spread to the rest of the body.
Trotman said there are many steps before the menadione compound can be used in human trials, including continuing to study the molecule and finding the most effective way to distribute it to patients.
Menadione is different from commercially available vitamin K. Commonly used as a supplement in horse feed.
“This is not like a drug you can try at the pharmacy,” Trotman said. “We need to do some work to be able to produce it and provide it to the men.”
Screening tests are important for men because prostate cancer often has no symptoms in its early stages. They can undergo a blood test, where the sample is screened for prostate-specific antigen (PSA).
“Before, anything below 4 was normal and above 4 was abnormal,” Villa said. “But we don’t use those reference ranges anymore. It’s the trends over time that are important.”
Age is said to be an important factor. A 70-year-old man’s PSA of 3 is normal, but a younger man’s PSA of 2.5 or 3 may be borderline abnormal.
Previous domestic research has focused on the effect of vitamin E, an antioxidant, on reducing the risk of developing prostate cancer. Instead, in a study that followed 35,533 men for more than 10 years, researchers found that it may have increased the risk for some men.
Trotman said he conducted the study to find out how pro-oxidants like vitamin K3 react with cancer cells and whether it could help prevent the disease. In general, antioxidants protect cells, while pro-oxidants can cause damage.
“As we learn more about the mechanism, we can learn more about how it is similar to human prostate cancer, and the use of this type of drug as part of other treatments for various forms of prostate cancer. It could be possible,” Villa said.
Lisa joined Newsday in 2019 as a staff writer. Previously, she covered politics, government, and general assignments at amNewYork, the New York Daily News, and the Asbury Park Press.
