[Vitamin B6 and cancer: from clinical data to molecularly mechanisms]

Vitamin B6 is well-known for its role as a cofactor in many enzymatic reactions and recently, several epidemiological studies have highlighted the importance of this vitamin as a protective agent against various cancers: elevated vitamin B6 plasma levels were associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer development, for example. In vivo studies have shown that vitamin B6 decreased cell proliferation and enhanced the immune response. At the cellular level, antioxidant, pro-apoptotic and anti-angiogenic effects have been identified. At the molecular level, vitamin B6 is able to inhibit the transactivation potential of various nuclear receptors. Interestingly, a recent paper has described the conjugation of vitamin B6 to RIP140 (receptor interacting protein of 140 kDa), a protein that acts as a transcriptional corepressor of nuclear receptors. This post-translational modification increases the transcriptional repression of RIP140 and regulates its subcellular localization and its ability to interact with different protein partners. Finally, vitamin B6 is involved in the methyl donor cycle ant thus, some of the antitumor properties of vitamin B6 may involve an indirect effect on the level of DNA or histone methylation. All of these mechanistic and clinical data justify further studies to decipher the mechanism of action of vitamin B6 and its clinical interest in combination with molecules typically used in chemotherapy or hormonal therapy.