Antioxidants may speed up lung cancer progression

Numerous studies have shown that antioxidants may halt cancer progression. But a new study from researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden has found that antioxidants may actually speed up the progression of lung cancer.

The findings are published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

Antioxidants are chemicals that are present in some pharmaceuticals, foods and nutritional supplements.

In the body, antioxidants interact with free radicals and neutralize them. Free radicals are chemicals that can potentially harm cells.

Although they form naturally in the body and play a role in many normal cellular processes, free radicals can damage cell components - such as DNA, proteins and cell membranes - at high concentrations. This process may contribute to the development of cancer.

Laboratory and animal studies have suggested that antioxidants are able to prevent types of free radical damage associated with cancer development.

But in this new study, led by Prof. Martin Bergo of the Sahlgrenska Cancer Center at the University of Gothenburg, the findings suggest otherwise.

Antioxidants 'deactivate p53 protein to cause tumor progression'

The team analyzed tumor progression in two groups of mice that had lung cancer.