Vitamin E extract could help tackle cancer tumours

Extract of vitamin E may play a key role in the treatment of cancer, say Scottish researchers.

Researchers from Glasgow and Strathclyde University, who studied the tocotrienol - extract vitamin E, which has an anticarcinogenic effect, could not deliver the substance to the tumor after intravenous its introduction without any side effects on healthy tissues. As a result, many experiments, the researchers have developed a form of tocotrienol, which, on intravenous injection, can be selectively delivered to tumors. The specialists used the transferrin - a plasma protein that performs the function of ion transport of iron in the body, receptors that are found in large quantities in many kinds of cancer.

Treatment of this form of tocotrienol reduces tumor in one day and its almost total disappearance after 10 days of treatment - a maximum duration of treatment, allowed for the experiment. Despite the fact that the tumor grew back after treatment, the rate of growth was significantly lower than in trials of other forms of money. Researchers believe that there is scope for further improvement of the therapeutic effect to develop drugs through the use of higher doses and prolonged treatment.

This drug looks very promising when tested in laboratory conditions in skin cancer. Currently, scientists are exploring other dosage forms, which could give similar or better results.