Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28108513›Full record

ArticleCancer research2017

RelB Expression Determines the Differential Effects of Ascorbic Acid in Normal and Cancer Cells.

Xiaowei Wei, Yong Xu, Fang Fang Xu, Luksana Chaiswing, David Schnell, Teresa Noel, Chi Wang, Jinfei Chen, Daret K St Clair, William H St Clair

Open access · greenAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cancer research, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 25 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
25citing papers in PubMed
2.4field-weighted citation impact, top 11% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

25 citing papers in PubMed, 50 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Two-color spheroid model for determining the OJournal of biological engineering · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. High-dose vitamin C as a metabolic treatment of cancer: a new dimension in the era of adjuvant and intensive therapy.Clinical & translational oncology : official publication of the Federation of Spanish Oncology Societies and of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico · 2025
    Review
  4. Article
  5. Roles of SIRT3 in aging and aging-related diseases.International journal of biological sciences · 2025
    Review
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. A Redox-active Mn Porphyrin, MnTnBuOE-2-PyPOxidative medicine and cellular longevity · 2022
    Article
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Review
  16. Review
  17. Article
  18. Review
  19. The XCellular oncology (Dordrecht, Netherlands) · 2020
    Article
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Xiaowei WeiDepartment of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky.
Yong XuDepartment of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky.
Fang Fang XuDepartment of Radiation Medicine, Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky.
Luksana ChaiswingDepartment of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky.
David SchnellDepartment of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky.
Teresa NoelDepartment of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky.
Chi WangBiostatistics Core, Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky.
Jinfei ChenDepartment of Oncology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China. dstcl00@uky.edu stclair@uky.edu jinfeichen@sohu.com.
Daret K St ClairDepartment of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky. dstcl00@uky.edu stclair@uky.edu jinfeichen@sohu.com.
William H St ClairDepartment of Oncology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China. dstcl00@uky.edu stclair@uky.edu jinfeichen@sohu.com.
Markey Cancer Center · USNanjing Medical University · CN

Funding

University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center Support Grant ECIA SupplementP30CA177558 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY · PI KATHLEEN L. O'CONNOR · 2013 to 2026
$38.3M
Mechansins of MnSOD expression in normal and tumor cellsR01CA049797 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY · PI ST CLAIR, DARET K · 1996 to 2014
$3.3M
TRAINING PROGRAM IN OXIDATIVE STRESS AND NUTRITIONT32DK007778 · NIDDK · UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY · PI WEBB, NANCY R · 2000 to 2019
$2.5M
Rel B mediated-redox regulation of radiation therapyR01CA143428 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY · PI ST CLAIR, DARET K, ST CLAIR, WILLIAM H · 2011 to 2015
$1.9M
Distinct Redox Mechanism in Normal and Cancer Cells as a Novel Therapeutic TargetR01CA205400 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY · PI ST CLAIR, DARET K, ST CLAIR, WILLIAM H · 2016 to 2020
$1.7M
NCI NIH HHS P30 CA177558NCI NIH HHS R01 CA049797NCI NIH HHS R01 CA143428NCI NIH HHS R01 CA205400NIDDK NIH HHS T32 DK007778
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Cancer cells typically experience higher oxidative stress than normal cells, such that elevating pro-oxidant levels can trigger cancer cell death. Although pre-exposure to mild oxidative agents will sensitize cancer cells to radiation, this pre-exposure may also activate the adaptive stress defense system in normal cells. Ascorbic acid is a prototype redox modulator that when infused intravenously appears to kill cancers without injury to normal tissues; however, the mechanisms involved remain elusive. In this study, we show how ascorbic acid kills cancer cells and sensitizes prostate cancer to radiation therapy while also conferring protection upon normal prostate epithelial cells against radiation-induced injury. We found that the NF-κB transcription factor RelB is a pivotal determinant in the differential radiosensitization effects of ascorbic acid in prostate cancer cells and normal prostate epithelial cells. Mechanistically, high reactive oxygen species concentrations suppress RelB in cancer cells. RelB suppression decreases expression of the sirtuin SIRT3 and the powerful antioxidant MnSOD, which in turn increases oxidative and metabolic stresses in prostate cancer cells. In contrast, ascorbic acid enhances RelB expression in normal cells, improving antioxidant and metabolic defenses against radiation injury. In addition to showing how RelB mediates the differential effects of ascorbic acid on cancer and normal tissue radiosensitivities, our work also provides a proof of concept for the existence of redox modulators that can improve the efficacy of radiotherapy while protecting against normal tissue injury in cancer settings.

Indexed as

AnimalsAntioxidantsApoptosisAscorbic AcidCell ProliferationCells, CulturedHumansMaleMiceMice, NudeOxidative StressProstateProstatic NeoplasmsRadiation, IonizingRadiation-Sensitizing AgentsRadiation ToleranceAntioxidantsAscorbic AcidRadiation-Sensitizing AgentsReactive Oxygen SpeciesRELB protein, humanSuperoxide DismutaseTranscription Factor RelB

Identifiers

PMID28108513
PMCPMC5354963
OpenAlexW2577266312

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.