Could This Common Supplement Be the Answer to Tumors?

N-acetylcysteine ​​(NAC), a precursor of glutathione biosynthesis, is a nutritional supplement that may be the key to treating tumors resistant to conventional cancer treatments. Researchers with the Department of Biomedicine of the University of Basel in Switzerland, found that NAC restores the sensitivity of breast cancer cells to treatment.¹

NAC is already clinically appreciated for helping to increase glutathione in the body, which prevents liver damage in cases of acetaminophen (Tylenol) overdose. It also reduces the toxicity of acetaldehyde,² which causes many hangover symptoms. But, it seems, NAC is living up to its reputation as “an old drug with a new twist,” as this study shows that it could revolutionize the treatment of breast cancer.

NAC May Help Fight Cancer-Resistant Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, and more than 2.2 million people are diagnosed with it each year.³ Among women with recurrent disease, survival rates have not improved over the past two decades. Researchers wrote in Cell Reports Medicine: “Many recurrent cancers are drug-resistant or resistant to treatment. “Therefore, drug resistance is a major problem in the long-term treatment of patients.”⁴

About 70% of breast cancers have genetic mutations that affect the PI3K signaling pathway.⁵ The increase in PI3K promotes tumor growth, so the drug alpelisib (brand name Piqray) – a PI3Kα-selective inhibitor – is used for treatment. However, drug resistance is a serious problem.

“Unfortunately, it was found that the success of the drug is very limited due to resistance,” researcher Mohamed Bentires-Alj said in an article from the University of Basel. “Therefore, we need to know more about how resistance develops.”⁶

The team found mutations that block the production of a protein called NF1, which inhibits tumor growth, were implicated in cancer resistance to alpelisib. “The absence of NF1 is the elephant in the room; it interferes with everything inside the cell and prevents good treatment,” said Bentires-Alj.⁷

With NF1 lost, the team found that cells produce less energy through their mitochondria and rely more on other energy sources. NAC, an antioxidant, affects energy metabolism in a similar way, so the researchers expected it to have the same effect in cancer cells as the loss of NF1. In fact, things were not like that.

NAC unexpectedly restored – and increased – the effectiveness of alpelisib in cancer cells that were previously resistant. Loss of NF1 is also involved in some cases of drug resistance, including skin, ovarian, endometrial, lung and bladder cancer, so it is possible that NAC may be useful in the treatment of many drug-resistant cancers.⁸

“As N-acetylcysteine ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ is a safe and common supplement, these results are very important for clinical research,” said Bentires-Alj. The team plans to conduct further trials in breast cancer patients to see if NAC improves treatment in refractory patients.⁹ The study concluded:¹⁰

“The loss of NF1 is a potentiating event for PI3Kα inhibition. This suggests that patients with NF1-deficient tumors may be resistant to PI3Kα inhibition. In addition, we found that NAC treatment prevents PI3Kα resistance, possibly by reducing glycolytic activity and mTOR signaling , and may be a promising strategy to test in patients with resistant NF1.

Anticancer Effects of NAC

NAC, a form of the amino acid cysteine, has been seen as a preventive and therapeutic tool for conditions involving glutathione depletion. It has been found to be safe “even at very high doses and long-term treatment,” according to University of Genoa researchers in the Carcinogenesis review.¹¹

The study showed that NAC can prevent DNA damage, cancer and other diseases related to mutations, saying that “its mechanisms are effective and protective against DNA damage and carcinogenesis.” This includes:¹²

Many studies support NAC’s anti-cancer potential. In a study on mice, the combination of ketogenic and NAC significantly reduced tumor growth in anaplastic thyroid cancer, an aggressive and often fatal disease.¹³ Another study found that NAC inhibited the growth, adhesion, migration and invasion of bladder cancer cells.¹⁴

Similar results have been observed in breast cancer cells, where NAC reduces proliferation and increases apoptosis, or cell death.¹⁵ In combination with bromelain, NAC also significantly inhibited the proliferation and survival of gastric cancer cells.¹⁶

Is NAC a Fountain of Youth?

Beyond its anti-cancer activity, NAC may help prevent premature aging with its longevity-enhancing effects. Specifically, a combination of NAC and glycine, known as GlyNAC, improved “deficits associated with premature aging” in HIV-infected individuals.¹⁷ These included changes in oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, insulin resistance, genotoxicity, energy and cognition.¹⁸

A follow-up trial in older adults found similar results, with GlyNAC supplementation for 24 weeks correcting glutathione deficiency and improving several health pathways, including:¹⁹

The researchers concluded, “GlyNAC supplementation in the elderly may be a simple and effective way to promote health and warrants further investigation.”²⁰ GlyNAC supplementation also improved four of the nine signs of aging known to contribute to the aging process. This includes:²¹

1. Mitochondrial failure
2. Swelling
3. Insulin resistance
4. Genomic degradation

Neuroprotective Effects of NAC and Stroke Benefits

People with hereditary cystatin C amyloid angiopathy (HCCAA), a rare genetic disease,²² they live an average life of only 30 years, and most die within five years of the first stroke,²³ so limiting their activities may be necessary for survival.

NAC may help prevent strokes in humans by inhibiting the production of amyloid proteins, which promote the amyloid deposits associated with stroke.²⁴

Researchers from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) conducted this study, and found that NAC may also have Alzheimer’s disease because the process of protein deposition found in HCCAA is similar to that which occurs in Alzheimer’s, although it is faster in HCCAA.

NAC Shows Promise for Psychiatric and Neurological Disorders

NAC also shows particular promise in the treatment of psychiatric disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder,²⁵ depression²⁶ and substance use disorders.²⁷

They are known to modify pathophysiological processes – such as oxidative stress, neuroinflammation and dysregulation of the glutamate and dopamine neurotransmitter systems – which contribute to mental and neurological disorders.²⁸ According to a systematic review published in Neuroscience & Behavioral Reviews:²⁹

“In this systematic review we find good evidence for the use of NAC in several psychiatric and neurological disorders, especially autism, Alzheimer’s disease, cocaine and marijuana, bipolar disorder, depression, trichotillomania, nail biting, skin picking, addiction, schizophrenia, drug-induced neuropathy epilepsy and myoclonic seizures.

Disorders such as anxiety, attention deficit and mild brain injury have preliminary evidence and require studies to confirm…

Is NAC Being Monitored Because It Fights COVID-19?

Among the many benefits of NAC is its ability to reduce the proliferation of certain viruses, including the influenza virus.³⁰ During the pandemic, NAC emerged as a tool to prevent and treat COVID-19, including hypercoagulation that can lead to stroke and/or blood clots.³¹ which prevents the exchange of oxygen in the lungs. As reported in the FASEB Journal in 2020:³²

“Based on several antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms … oral administration of NAC should reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19, as has been previously shown for influenza and influenza-like illness.

In addition, the highest level of NAC is expected to play a role in treating severe cases of COVID-19 and controlling its fatal complications…

Another literature review³³ glutathione deficiency may be linked to the severity of COVID-19, leading the author to suggest that NAC may be effective in both prevention and treatment.

Shortly after several scientists looked at the benefits of NAC against COVID, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) suddenly confused the supplement, saying that it was not included in the definition of dietary supplements because it was approved as a new drug. 1963³⁴ – before they are sold as food supplements or as food.

Retailers, including Amazon, pulled supplements containing NAC from their shelves in response, since the FDA’s move meant that NAC could no longer be legally sold as a supplement, even though there were at least 1,170 NAC products listed in the National Institutes of Health’s Dietary Supplement. Supplement Label Database at that time.³⁵

A draft guidance issued by the FDA in April 2022,³⁶ However, it included verbiage indicating that the FDA would not enforce its policy that NAC could not be sold as a dietary supplement, even though it was prohibited to do so. In August 2022, after the FDA released its final guidelines, Amazon “quietly notified” supplement manufacturers that it was resuming sales of NAC supplements.³⁷

Fortunately, research into NAC’s potential cancer prevention and other disease-reducing effects is ongoing. And if you’re curious about NAC’s health-promoting potential and want to supplement with NAC, it’s inexpensive and, at this point, widely available.

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