Nicotinamide Riboside Reduces Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy and Suppresses Tumor Growth: Preclinical Findings

Synopsis

Nicotinamide riboside (NR) is a vitamin B3 precursor of NAD+ that blunts diabetic and chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in preclinical models. This study tested whether NR also reduces the loss of nerve fibers in the skin caused by paclitaxel, a chemotherapy drug linked to peripheral neuropathy. The research was done in female rats with mammary tumors to better mimic human disease and to see how NR interacts with paclitaxel and affects tumor growth. Rats given daily oral NR starting with the first of three paclitaxel injections showed less sensitivity to touch and cold, and less avoidance behavior caused by the drug. NR also protected nerve fibers in both tumor-bearing rats and rats without tumors. Unexpectedly, NR combined with paclitaxel temporarily slowed tumor growth; thereafter, tumor growth resumed at the same rate as control rats. NR treatment lowered the number of actively dividing tumor cells in these rats. NR alone did not change tumor growth or cell division in rats not treated with paclitaxel over a 3-month period. These findings support NR’s protective role in nerve injury and suggest that it may not only reduce peripheral neuropathy during taxane chemotherapy but also potentially improve its cancer-fighting effects.

Journal

Pain