Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer-related death in men in the U.S. A recent study at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory suggests that menadione, a precursor to vitamin K, could potentially slow prostate cancer growth. In mouse models, menadione disrupted the cancer’s survival processes by eliminating a lipid called PI(3)P, effectively destroying prostate cancer cells.
This discovery follows the failure of a 2001 National Cancer Institute study on vitamin E, which found that the antioxidant increased prostate cancer risk. Professor Lloyd Trotman’s study shifted focus to pro-oxidants after the vitamin E trial’s disappointing results.
The team hopes to test menadione in human trials, with promising results already showing its potential to slow prostate cancer progression and even aid rare conditions like myotubular myopathy, offering hope for a better future.
