Vitamin E a potential biomarker for development of brain tumours
NEWS
Researchers at 91传媒在线 in Sweden and the Cancer Registry of Norway have studied possible causes behind the development of brain tumours. The results, published in the journal Oncotarget, show differences in expression of certain molecules known as metabolites when comparing healthy individuals with people who would eventually develop brain tumours. The greatest difference were found when looking at vitamin E.
Text: Daniel Harju
Beatrice Melin (Photo: Mattias Pettersson)
鈥淲e know that common health-related lifestyle factors such as smoking and alcohol are not associated with brain tumours. So finding these signs of a possible link between vitamin E and brain tumours was rather interesting and something which we now will study more closely,鈥 says Beatrice Melin, researcher at the Department of Radiation Sciences and one of the article co-authors. 鈥淏ut we must point out that the results are preliminary and that further studies with a larger number of patients are needed to verify this link between vitamin E and brain tumours.鈥
A group of researchers at the Ume氓 University departments of Radiation Sciences and Chemistry, led by Beatrice Melin and Henrik Antti, conducted the study using a unique biobank material of serum samples from brain tumour patients, taken up to twenty years before their diagnosis. The researchers looked at differences in metabolites between patients who would later develop brain tumours and a control group.
Henrik Antti (Photo: Mattias Pettersson)
鈥淥ther studies have also showed signs of disadvantageous health effects from vitamin E, so our results are in line with current research findings concerning other types of tumours,鈥 says Henrik Antti, researcher at the Department of Chemistry and co-author. 鈥淲e are of course interpreting our results carefully and will now proceed with this research to investigate if genetics play a role in the observed biomarker patterns.鈥
The use of metabolomics to study underlying variables for future disease, such as brain tumours, is a unique field facilitated by access to the large and structured longitudinal collections of biobank samples in Ume氓 and Oslo.
About the publication:
Oncotarget, article: Metabolomic screening of pre-diagnostic serum samples identifies association between 伪- and 纬-tocopherols and glioblastoma risk. Authors: Benny Bj枚rkblom, Carl Wibom, P盲r Jonsson, Lina M枚r茅n, Ulrika Andersson, Tom B酶rge Johannesen, Hilde Langseth, Henrik Antti and Beatrice Melin.
For more information, please contact:
Beatrice Melin, Department of Radiation Sciences, Ume氓 UniversityPhone: +46 73 091 8028 Email: beatrice.melin@91传媒在线
Henrik Antti, Department of Chemistry, Ume氓 UniversityPhone: +46 72 208 4081 Email: henrik.antti@91传媒在线