Featured article | October 2025
Melatonin and Vitamins: A Promising Combination to Augment Conventional Anticancer Therapies
Wamidh H Talib et al., (2025) Nutrients. 17(19):3120. doi: 10.3390/nu17193120
This article reviews preclinical and clinical evidence for combining melatonin with vitamins A, C, D, and E, to enhance the anti-tumour effects of conventional cancer therapies. It also includes a thorough discussion of molecular interactions, current evidence, and research gaps in melatonin–vitamin combinations for cancer therapy.
Discussed in this article:
- The biological and anticancer properties of melatonin and its potential role in cancer therapy.
- The anticancer roles of vitamins A, C, D, and E, including immune modulation, antioxidant effects, gene regulation and epigenetic influences.
Direct and indirect anticancer mechanisms of melatonin:
- slows tumour growth by shifting cancer cells away from glycolysis toward oxidative phosphorylation for energy production
- reduces chronic inflammation by decreasing pro-inflammatory signalling linked to cancer progression
- directly neutralizes free radicals and boosts the body’s own antioxidant enzymes, which helps protect normal cells from damage caused by chemotherapy, radiation, and oxidative stress
- encourages damaged or abnormal cells to self-destruct (apoptosis), while protecting healthy cells
- helps regulate immune system activity, supporting immune cells that target cancer cells
- reduces the growth of new blood vessels (angiogenesis) that feed tumours
- limits enzymes and signalling that allow cancer cells to invade surrounding tissues andtravel to other parts of the body
- interacts with many signalling molecules that control how genes are switched on or off in cancer cells, helping to restore more normal behaviour
- helps protect normal cells and reduce treatment side effects without reducing cancer fighting effects of chemotherapy or radiation
“…the combination of melatonin and vitamins has recently emerged as a particularly promising strategy to enhance the efficacy of conventional anticancer therapies.”
“Enhanced therapeutic activity and reduced toxicity were observed after using melatonin in combination with chemotherapy. Also, improvements in sleep and life quality were observed in these combination therapies.”
