Supplements Increase Gene Repair in Breast Cancer Patients

A daily supplement containing several nutrients can enhance normal repair of genes and inhibit abnormal gene activity in women with breast cancer.

Panchanatham Sachdanandam, PhD, of the University of Madras, India, and his colleagues treated 84 breast cancer patients who were receiving 10 mg of tamoxifen twice daily. Tamoxifen is an estrogen-blocking drug used to reduce the risk of tumor recurrence.

Half of the women received a daily supplement containing 100 mg of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), 10 mg of vitamin B2, and 50 mg of vitamin B3. The other half received only tamoxifen.

Women receiving the supplements had an increase in poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, or PARP, activity. PARP, which is built on vitamin B3, is a gene repair enzyme, and the increase in PARP indicated improved gene repair in normal cells. In addition, women taking the supplement had a complete disappearance of a particular type of abnormal gene behavior, known as RASSF1A methylation.

PARP also helps maintain overall gene stability and enhances the cancer-suppressing p53 gene.

Reference: Premkumar VG, Yuvaraj S, Shanthi P. Coenzyme Q10, riboflavin and niacin supplementation on alteration of DNA repair enzyme and DNA methylation in breast cancer patients undergoing tamoxifen therapy. British Journal of Nutrition, 2008;100:1179-1182.