Nicotinamide offers various photoprotective and anti-inflammatory effects, and phase III evidence now supports its ability to reduce non-melanoma skin cancers and actinic keratoses in high-risk patients, according to a recent review article published in the journal Experimental Dermatology. “Theoretically, nicotinamide may be able to protect against UV-induced immune suppression and possibly skin cancer development. However, the jury may still be out,” said Jerry D. Brewer, MD, MS, a professor of dermatology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, in an interview with Cancer Network. Researchers examined the role of nicotinamide, a water-soluble vitamin B3 derivative that reduces ATP levels and inhibits glycolysis, thereby preventing an energy crisis. They found that randomized controlled clinical trials have demonstrated that nicotinamide limits transepidermal water loss and the growth of non-melanoma skin cancer in high-risk individuals.
Source: Cancer Network
