NAD+ is a key coenzyme in the body and a chemical closely associated with decline. Several previous studies have concluded that NAD+ supplementation in the body helps to slow down ageing.

Many health products therefore supplement NAD+ by allowing the body to consume nicotinamide mononucleotides (NMN), a precursor substance of NAD+, to improve chronic diseases associated with ageing such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity and hypertension.

However, there is also another voice that says that "raising NAD+ levels will promote tumour cell growth", or even that "NAD+ supplementation may cause cancer". So, can NAD+ be supplemented or not?

NMN causes cancer? Just a misunderstanding!

In fact, this "beautiful" misunderstanding began in 2019.

Dr Rugang Zhang of the Westminster Institute, USA, has published a paper "NAD+ metabolism control increases inflammation" in Nature Cell Biology, a subjournal of Cell.

However, the study was subsequently disseminated on the Internet as "NAD+ promotes the growth of cancer cells" and even "causes cancer", which is a shocking difference in words.


Firstly, this is not a study on whether NAD+ is carcinogenic.

The study cultured senescent and cancer cells together and the cancer cells grew; mice with pancreatic cancer that had senescent cells were supplemented with high doses of NMN and the tumour cells grew.

Putting the two parts together is that the increased NAD+ from senescent cells promotes the release of inflammatory factors, which stimulate tumour cells; the senescent cells are then cultured with the cancer cells, which promote cancer cell growth.

However NMN drives cancer growth and development ≠ NMN causes cancer

In fact, it is the DNA damage and the decline in immune function caused by the lowered NAD+ level that is considered an important cause of cancer, and reducing the rate of decline in the body can itself prevent tumours from being caused at some level.

Experimental confirmation: NMN supplementation did not accelerate cancer cell growth

In addition, to further answer the question "Does NMN cause cancer?", in January 2021, researchers tested the effects of NMN on the formation and growth of lung cancer in mice.

The study was published in the journal Materials Chemistry Frontiers. The results of the study show that NMN supplementation did not accelerate the growth of cancer cells.

To test whether NMN directly inhibits the growth of tumour cells, the team pretreated four-week-old mice with saline (control) or NMN (500 mg / kg) twice daily for a fortnight before inoculating them with lung cancer cells, and then monitored tumour formation for the next three weeks.

However, it turned out that all mice injected with carcinogenic cells formed tumours.

In addition, the team found no difference in tumour size between these groups, suggesting that NMN also does not promote the growth of lung cancer.

NAD+ supplementation boosts ability to kill tumours

In fact, the role of nicotinamide mononucleotides (NMN) in cancer has been the focus of much attention. Although NMN has now been shown not to promote the growth of cancer cells, is NMN ingestion beneficial to tumours?

To answer these questions, it is important to start with the immune system, which is responsible for defending the body's health, where T cells play a vital role in tumour surveillance and killing.

However, tumour cells can evade the immune system by inhibiting the anti-tumour activity of T cells through a variety of mechanisms. In clinical practice, the anti-tumour capacity can be enhanced by increasing the activity of T cells.

An article on how supplementation with NAD+ precursors (NMN) can help activate T cells and enhance anti-tumour capacity was published on 10 August 2021 in the international scientific research journal Cell Reports.

The researchers found that both NAMPT and NAD+ levels were significantly reduced in T cells with immune dysfunction. After supplementation with NAD+ precursors, T-cell function was significantly enhanced. After a period of immunotherapy, the tumours were almost completely cleared from the model mice.

1. NAD+ regulates T-cell function by regulating cellular energy metabolism

2. NAD + supplementation enhances the tumor-killing function of CAR-T cells

Currently, T-cell based tumour immunotherapy has achieved great success and has a wide range of applications. However, existing treatments are only effective for some patients and have certain side effects.

Can oncology patients therefore take NMN? Our answer is that it is not recommended for cancer patients to take it on their own and it is better to follow the advice of their doctor.