US researchers are calling for more trials to be carried out on intravenous vitamin C therapy, as evidence builds of its cancer battling successes.
Recent trials have show that high doses of vitamin C could offer a safe, effective and low-cost treatment for ovarian and other cancers.
Writing in the Science Translational Magazine, scientists at the University of Kansas explain that when given by injection vitamin C is absorbed into the body and can kill cancer cells without harming normal ones.
The researchers injected vitamin C into human ovarian cancer cells in the lab, into mice, and into patients with advanced ovarian cancer. They found ovarian cancer cells were sensitive to vitamin C treatment, but normal cells were unharmed.
Joint lead researcher, Dr Jeanne Drisko, said there is a growing interest in vitamin C therapy among oncologists. She told the BBC: “Patients are looking for safe choices in their management of cancer. Intravenous vitamin C has that potential based on our basic science research and early clinical data.”
The University of Kansas team is calling for new trials into vitamin C cancer therapies. But it warn that since vitamins cannot be patented the pharmaceutical industry is unlikely to be motivated to conduct important new research.
