Reducing breast cancer aggression with coenzyme Q10

20.09.2024

Published in Nature Communication, the discovery comes from the laboratory of a group of international researchers from the University of Padua investigating how Coenzyme Q10 can block metastases in women diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer

CoQ10 (Coenzyme Q10), widely used in skin and beauty products, is a fat-soluble metabolite that plays a key role in cellular metabolism. Thanks to its antioxidant properties, CoQ10 protects against cellular aging. Research outcomes investigating the role of CoQ10 in the development and progression of cancer are less known, until now.

With the understanding that many women select products with CoQ10 as part of their skincare regime, researchers from various institutes and research centers coordinated by Prof Massimo Santoro of the University of Padua focused a study of this molecule as it concerning breast cancer, the leading cause of cancer deaths in females worldwide.

"We examined more than 2,000 patients with breast cancer at different stages of development," explains Prof Santoro, Director of the Laboratory of Angiogenesis and Cancer Metabolism at the Department of Biology of the University of Padua and researcher at the Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine (VIMM), and corresponding author of the article. "To our surprise, we observed that the loss of the UBIAD1 enzyme, which produces CoQ10 in cells, is associated with the development and progression of the most aggressive forms of metastatic triple-negative type cancer." The discovery was published in the prestigious journal Nature Communication.

More specifically, the researchers performed experiments on animal models with different types of breast cancer cells in the laboratory. The team thus confirmed that the loss of UBIAD1 accelerates tumor formation. They also demonstrated that the reintroduction of the gene encoding UBIAD1, or the administration of CoQ10 in triple-negative breast cancer cells, limits their aggressiveness by preventing the formation of lung metastases.

This does not mean therapeutic results can be obtained by administering the molecule through cosmetic products.

"We also discovered that the UBIAD1 enzyme and CoQ10 make tumor cell membranes less elastic and more rigid. This characteristic seems to influence the sensitivity of these cells to the tumor microenvironment, favoring its elimination," concludes Prof Santoro.

Overall, the results of this study, conducted thanks to the support of AIRC – Foundation of Cancer Research revealed that CoQ10 and UBIAD1 could become new therapeutic targets for the treatment of breast cancer patients, especially those with poor prognosis. Further preclinical and clinical studies will continue, confirming data and moving this groundbreaking research toward treatment.