Vitamin Enhanced Cancer Chemotherapy Using 13-CIS- Retinoic Acid, Vitamin E Succinate and 5-Fluorouracil

Authors

Marcus C. Neuffer, Brigham Young University
Dr. Byron K. Murray, Brigham Young University

Keywords

cancer chemotherapy, 13-cis-Retinoic Acid, RA, vitamin derivatives

College

Life Sciences

Department

Microbiology and Molecular Biology

Abstract

Recent studies have suggested that vitamins and vitamin derivatives can enhance the efficacy of chemotherapeutic drugs (2,3). In this study the combination of 13-cis-Retinoic Acid (RA), a Vitamin A derivative, and Vitamin E Succinate (VES) are used with the chemotherapeutic agent 5-Fluorouracil (5FU). Previous studies have suggested that the RA and VES combination have a synergistic effect on inhibiting the growth of the HT-29 human colon adenocarcinoma cell line (1). The RA and VES combination also caused the cells to go through morphological and biochemical changes indicative of apoptosis. The purpose of this study was to treat the HT-29 cell line with the RA and VES combination joined with nontoxic levels of 5FU. The hypothesis was that the RA and VES combination with the chemotherapeutic agent would have a greater effect on inhibiting the cancer cell line than the agents would have alone, and that the combination of the agents would kill the cell line through apoptosis (programmed cell death).

Recommended Citation

Neuffer, Marcus C. and Murray, Dr. Byron K. (2013) "Vitamin Enhanced Cancer Chemotherapy Using 13-CIS- Retinoic Acid, Vitamin E Succinate and 5-Fluorouracil," Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 2013: Iss. 1, Article 1311.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jur/vol2013/iss1/1311