Possible usage of nicotinamide to prevent skin cancer in transplant recipients
|
Reviewed by Dat Tien Nguyen, B.A, ScM.
|
Posted on March 10th, 2023
|
To lower the odds of graft rejection, organ transplant recipients must be placed in an immunosuppressive state. However, this inhibits the body’s anti-tumor capability and increases the risk of skin cancer. In vitro, Nicotinamide (Vitamin B3) can enhance the efficiency of the DNA repair mechanism after damage from UV radiation. Thus, the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council had sponsored a study to investigate the possible usage of nicotinamide in preventing keratinocyte cancer in organ transplant recipients
The clinical trial included 158 recipients who had previously received an organ transplant. These patients also had a history of at least 2 cases of keratinocyte cancers in the past 5 years. These patients were randomly assigned to receive either placebo or 500 mg of nicotinamide twice daily for 12 months. These patients were inspected for skin lesions by a dermatologist every 3 months, and the researchers found that there was no significant difference in the rate of keratinocyte cancer in the form of either basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma between those was treated with nicotinamide and those in the placebo group.
The clinical trial included 158 recipients who had previously received an organ transplant. These patients also had a history of at least 2 cases of keratinocyte cancers in the past 5 years. These patients were randomly assigned to receive either placebo or 500 mg of nicotinamide twice daily for 12 months. These patients were inspected for skin lesions by a dermatologist every 3 months, and the researchers found that there was no significant difference in the rate of keratinocyte cancer in the form of either basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma between those was treated with nicotinamide and those in the placebo group.