Tocotrienol As A Potential Anticancer Agent
Cet article passe en revue les études concernant les propriétés chimiopréventives et anticancéreuses des tocotriénols, une forme rare de vitamine E
Vitamin E is composed of two structurally similar compounds: tocopherols (TP) and tocotrienols (T3). Despite being overshadowed by TP over the past few decades, T3 is now considered to be a promising anti-cancer agent due to its potent effects against a wide range of cancers. A growing body of evidence suggests that in addition to its anti-oxidative and pro-apoptotic functions, T3 possesses a number of anti-cancer properties that make it superior to TP. These include the inhibition of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transitions, the suppression of VEGF tumor angiogenic pathway and the induction of anti-tumor immunity. More recently, T3, but not TP, has been shown to have chemosensitization and anti-cancer stem cell (CSC) effects, further demonstrating the potential of T3 as an effective anti-cancer therapeutic agent. With most of the previous clinical studies on TP producing disappointing results, research has now focused on testing T3 as the next generation vitamin E for chemoprevention and cancer treatment. This review will summarize recent developments in the understanding of the anti-cancer effects of T3. We will also discuss current progress in clinical trials involving T3 as an adjuvant to conventional cancer therapy.
http://carcin.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2011/11/17/carcin.bgr261.abstract