Cancer is one of the world’s leading causes of death, and it can become especially difficult to treat when it no longer responds to standard medicines.
Chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted drugs, and other treatments have helped many people, but some cancers continue to grow or return after treatment.
This has encouraged scientists to search for new ways to help the body’s own immune system fight cancer more successfully.
Researchers at the University of Minnesota have now reported promising findings involving vitamin B3, also called nicotinamide.
Their study, published in Science Translational Medicine, suggests that this familiar vitamin may help strengthen natural killer cells, a type of immune cell that plays an important role in finding and destroying cancer cells.
The immune system protects the body from germs and disease every day. Natural killer cells are one of its first lines of defence because they can quickly recognise abnormal cells, including many cancer cells, and destroy them before they spread further.
Doctors have been studying natural killer cell therapy for several years, especially for blood cancers such as lymphoma and leukaemia. In this treatment, immune cells are collected, improved in the laboratory, and then returned to patients.
While some people benefit, the treatment has not always produced strong or lasting results because the cells can become weak or stop working.
The research team wanted to find a safe way to make these immune cells stronger. They focused on vitamin B3 because it is already well known for helping the body produce energy and supporting healthy cells. It is naturally found in foods including meat, fish, whole grains, and nuts, and a lack of this vitamin once caused the serious disease pellagra before food fortification became common.
When the scientists treated natural killer cells with vitamin B3 in the laboratory, they found that the cells stayed healthier under stress, survived for longer, and were better at attacking cancer cells. The vitamin appeared to improve the cells’ energy supply and helped protect them from damage, allowing them to keep working for longer periods.
The team then tested the approach in 30 people with aggressive blood cancers together with another cancer treatment. Many participants had already tried other therapies without success.
Among 19 people with difficult-to-treat lymphoma, 11 had no detectable signs of cancer after treatment, while another three experienced partial improvement. Many of these responses appeared within 28 days.
Although these findings are encouraging, the researchers say this is still an early-stage study. Larger clinical trials are needed to confirm that the treatment is safe and effective for more patients before it becomes widely available.
The study also reflects growing scientific interest in how nutrition can influence medical treatments. Researchers are investigating how vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients may improve heart health, support brain function, and strengthen the immune system when used alongside standard medical care.
These nutrients are not replacements for cancer treatment, but they may help improve the way existing therapies work.
This research offers hope because it uses the body’s own natural defences instead of attacking cancer directly.
Vitamin B3 is not a cure for cancer, and people should not self-treat with supplements in place of medical advice. However, the findings suggest that helping immune cells stay stronger and healthier could become an important part of future cancer care, especially for patients whose disease has been difficult to treat.
If you care about nutrition, please read studies about the power of beetroot juice, and the risks of mixing medications with dietary supplements.
For more health information, please see recent studies about how to boost iron intake: natural solutions for anemia, and results showing vitamin K may lower your heart disease risk by a third.
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