1. Anticancer Res. 2008 Sep-Oct;28(5A):2727-32.

Altered deoxyribonuclease activity in cancer cells and its role in non toxic
adjuvant cancer therapy with mixed vitamins C and K3.

Taper HS.

Unité de Pharmacocinétique, Métabolisme, Nutrition et Toxicologie Université
Catholique de Louvain, Bruxelles, Belgium. Patricia.Debluts@uclouvain.be

The alterations of deoxyribonuclease DNase activity in cancer cells were the
basis of the utilization of mixed vitamins C and K3 in a nontoxic, adjuvant
cancer therapy. In order to localize exactly the altered activities of DNase in
cancer cells, histochemical methods were utilized. The deficiency of alkaline and
acid DNase activity appeared to be characteristic for non-necrotic cells of
malignant human and animal tumors. This enzymatic deficiency appeared in
experimental carcinogenesis before the phenotypic signs of malignancy. Tumor
promoters directly reduced the activity of both DNases. The incidence of
spontaneous malignant human and animal tumors appeared to be inversely
proportional to the intensity of the activity of both DNases in normal cells and 
tissues from which these tumors were derived. The fact that alkaline and acid
DNase activity was reactivated during the spontaneous and therapeutically induced
necrosis of cancer cells suggests that this enzymatic deficiency of DNase
activity in cancer cells was due to the action of specific inhibitors of DNases. 
Characteristic variations of serum alkaline DNase activity in positive responders
to therapy, examined in more than 800 cancer-bearing patients, may be the basis
for the development of a useful test for therapeutic prognosis and for monitoring
of cancer bearing patients. Acid DNase was selectively reactivated in malignant
tumor cells by vitamin C (sodium ascorbate), whereas alkaline DNase was
reactivated by vitamin K3. Joint vitamin C and K3 administration produced in
vitro and in vivo tumor growth inhibition, potentiation and sensitization of
chemo- and/or radiotherapy and a decrease in the number of metastases in animals 
with experimental tumors. Joint vitamin C and K3 administration may be considered
as a possible new, non-toxic, adjuvant cancer therapy, which can be easily
introduced into the classic protocols of clinical cancer therapy without any
supplementary risk for patients.

PMID: 19035302 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]