Using commercial dietary supplements like nicotinamide riboside (NR), a type of vitamin B3, has previously been linked to cardiovascular, metabolic and neurological health issues. However, a new study, by the University of Missouri, has revealed that Nicotinamide Riboside can actually be responsible for an increased risk of serious health conditions, such as the development of breast cancer and brain metastasis. The study was led by Elena Goun, an associate professor of chemistry at the University of Missouri, and was published in Biosensors and Bioelectronics. The researchers have found that high levels of NR can not only increase the risk of developing triple-negative breast cancer but can also cause cancer to metastasize or spread to the brain. Since there are no treatment options at this time, if cancer metastases or reaches the brain, the results will be fatal.
“Some people take them [vitamins and supplements] because they automatically assume that vitamins and supplements only have positive health benefits, but very little is known about how they actually work. Because of this lack of knowledge, we were inspired to study the basic questions surrounding how vitamins and supplements work in the body,” Goun said.
“While NR is already being widely used in people and is being investigated in so many ongoing clinical trials for additional applications, much of how NR works is a black box — it’s not understood.”
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This inspired the researchers to put forward a novel imaging technique based on ultrasensitive bioluminescent imaging. that allows the quantification of NR levels in real-time in a non-invasive manner. If NR is present it is shown with light. The brighter the light is, the more NR is present.
According to Goun, the findings of this study has emphasized the importance of carefully exploring and understanding the potential side effects for supplements like NR prior to their use. Especially if people have different types of health conditions. She has also added that cancers are different in different people, especially from the standpoint of metabolic signatures. In fact, cancers can also change their metabolism before or after chemotherapy.
The lead researcher wants to provide information that can help in the development of certain inhibitors helpful in making cancer therapies like chemotherapy more effective in their treatment.
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