Vitamin K supplements slow the development of prostate cancer

A new study by Prof. Lloyd Trotman and colleagues at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, published in the journal Science, shows that menadione significantly slows the growth of prostate cancer in mice and in human cancer cells.

Prostate cancer is a silent killer. In most men, it is treatable. However, in some cases, it fails to respond to known treatments and becomes extremely life-threatening. A new discovery at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) points to a potentially revolutionary solution. Scientists at the lab found that the pro-oxidant supplement menadione slowed the progression of prostate cancer in mice.

This supplement is a precursor to vitamin K, which is commonly found in leafy greens.

The story began more than two decades ago.

In 2001, the National Cancer Institute conducted the SELECT study to see if an antioxidant vitamin E supplement could successfully treat or prevent prostate cancer. The study involving 35,000 men was planned to last up to 12 years.

However, after three years, participants were told to stop taking the supplements. Not only did vitamin E fail to slow or prevent prostate cancer, it began to cause the disease in more men who took the supplement. After seeing these results, Trotman thought, “If an antioxidant didn’t work, maybe a pro-oxidant will.” The results of his new studies in mice confirmed just that idea.

When mice with prostate cancer are given menadione, it disrupts cancer cell survival processes. Trotman’s team found that menadione kills prostate cancer cells by depleting a lipid called PI(3)P, which works as an identification marker. Without it, the cells stop recycling incoming materials and eventually just burst.

“It’s like a transportation hub, like an airport. If everything that comes in is immediately anonymized, no one knows where to send the planes next. More and more people and more planes keep coming in, and the transportation hub starts to rapidly inflate. Eventually, this leads to its destruction,” Trotman explains.

As a result, cancer progression in the mice is significantly slowed. Trotman now hopes to move the experiment into pilot studies on men with prostate cancer:

“Our target group is men who are diagnosed with an early form of the disease on biopsy. We’re wondering if we can slow the progression of the disease if they start taking a viamin K supplement.”

Surprisingly, Trotman’s research suggests that menadione may also be effective in combating myotubular myopathy, a rare condition that prevents muscle growth in young boys. Those diagnosed with this condition rarely live beyond early childhood. Trotman’s lab found that depleting PI(3)P with menadione can double the life expectancy of mice with the disease.

If the results of the study are confirmed in humans, it would mean that men with prostate cancer could enjoy a higher quality of life and spend more time with their families. It could also mean more precious time for children born with the incurable disease.