Academic Literature For High Dose Vitamin C

High-Dose Vitamin C Research References

Medically reviewed by Dr Saskia Kloppenburg Vieth (GMC 7541548), June 2026.

The following peer-reviewed studies form part of the evidence base for our high-dose vitamin C IV therapy. For the patient-facing overview, see our guide to the benefits of high-dose intravenous vitamin C, or read about our wider intravenous infusion therapy programme.

  1. Targeting cancer vulnerabilities with high-dose vitamin C
    Bryan Ngo et al. Nat Rev Cancer. 2019 May;19(5):271-282.
  2. The effect of ascorbic acid over the Etoposide- and Temozolomide-mediated cytotoxicity in Glioblastoma cell culture: a molecular study
    Gokturk D, Kelebek H, Ceylan S, Yilmaz DM. Turk Neurosurg. 2018;28(1):13–8.
  3. High dose parenteral Ascorbate inhibited pancreatic Cancer growth and metastasis: mechanisms and a phase I/IIa study
    Polireddy K, Dong R, Reed G, Yu J, Chen P, Williamson S, et al. Sci Rep. 2017;7(1):17188.
  4. Pharmacologic doses of ascorbate act as a prooxidant and decrease growth of aggressive tumor xenografts in mice
    Chen Q, Espey MG, Sun AY, Pooput C, Kirk KL, Krishna MC, et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci. 2008;105(32):11105–9.
  5. O2·− and H2O2 Mediated Disruption of Fe Metabolism Causes the Differential Susceptibility of NSCLC and GBM Cancer Cells to Pharmacological Ascorbate
    Schoenfeld JD, Sibenaller ZA, Mapuskar KA, Wagner BA, Cramer Morales KL, Furqan M, et al. Cancer Cell. 2017;31(4):487–500.e8.
  6. High dose intravenous vitamin C improves quality of life in cancer patients
    Takahashi H, Mizuno H, Yanagisawa A. Pers Med Universe. 2012;1(1):49–53.
  7. Intravenous vitamin C administration improves quality of life in breast cancer patients during chemo-/radiotherapy and aftercare: results of a retrospective, multicentre, epidemiological cohort study in Germany
    Vollbracht C, Schneider B, Leendert V, Weiss G, Auerbach L, Beuth J. In Vivo. 2011;25(6):983–90.
  8. Changes of terminal Cancer patients’ health-related quality of life after high dose vitamin C administration
    Yeom CH, Jung GC, Song KJ. J Korean Med Sci. 2007;22(1):7.
  9. Ascorbate regulates haematopoietic stem cell function and leukaemogenesis
    Agathocleous M, Meacham CE, Burgess RJ, Piskounova E, Zhao Z, Crane GM, et al. Nature. 2017;549(7673):476–81.
  10. Vitamin K3 and vitamin C alone or in combination induced apoptosis in leukemia cells by a similar oxidative stress signalling mechanism
    Bonilla‐Porras AR, Jimenez‐Del‐Rio M, Velez‐Pardo C. Cancer Cell Int. 2011;11(1):19.
  11. Restoration of TET2 Function Blocks Aberrant Self-Renewal and Leukemia Progression
    Cimmino L, Dolgalev I, Wang Y, Yoshimi A, Martin GH, Wang J, et al. Cell. 2017;170(6):1079–1095.e20.
  12. Vitamin C stabilizes CD8+ iTregs and enhances their therapeutic potential in controlling murine GVHD and leukemia relapse
    Iamsawat S, Tian L, Daenthanasanmak A, Wu Y, Nguyen HD, Bastian D, et al. Blood Adv. 2019;3(24):4187–201.
  13. Vitamin C-induced epigenomic remodelling in IDH1 mutant acute myeloid leukaemia
    Mingay M, Chaturvedi A, Bilenky M, Cao Q, Jackson L, Hui T, et al. Leukemia. 2018;32(1):11–20.
  14. Vitamin C uncouples the Warburg metabolic switch in KRAS mutant colon cancer
    Aguilera O, Muñoz‐Sagastibelza M, Torrejón B, Borrero‐Palacios A, del Puerto‐Nevado L, Martínez‐Useros J, et al. Oncotarget. 2016;7(30):47954–65.
  15. Augmentation of intracellular iron using iron sucrose enhances the toxicity of pharmacological ascorbate in colon cancer cells
    Brandt KE, Falls KC, Schoenfeld JD, Rodman SN, Gu Z, Zhan F, et al. Redox Biol. 2018;14:82–7.
  16. Vitamin C activates pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) targeting the mitochondrial tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle in hypoxic KRAS mutant colon cancer
    Cenigaonandia‐Campillo A, Serna‐Blasco R, Gómez‐Ocabo L, Solanes‐Casado S, Baños‐Herraiz N, Del Puerto‐Nevado L, et al. Theranostics. 2021;11(8):3595–606.
  17. Cytotoxicity of ascorbic acid in a human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line (WiDr): in vitro and in vivo studies
    Mamede AC, Pires AS, Abrantes AM, Tavares SD, Gonçalves AC, Casalta‐Lopes JE, et al. Nutr Cancer. 2012;64(7):1049–57.
  18. High-dose vitamin C exerts its anti-cancer effects in a Xenograft model of Colon Cancer by suppressing angiogenesis
    Nakanishi K, Hiramoto K, Ooi K. Biol Pharm Bull. 2021;44(6):884–7.
  19. Ascorbic acid and colon cancer: an oxidative stimulus to cell death depending on cell profile
    Pires AS, Marques CR, Encarnação JC, Abrantes AM, Mamede AC, Laranjo M, et al. Eur J Cell Biol. 2016;95(6–7):208–18.
  20. In vitro and in vivo assessment of high-dose vitamin C against murine tumors
    Wang G, Yin T, Wang Y. Exp Ther Med. 2016;12(5):3058–62.
  21. Vitamin C selectively kills KRAS and BRAF mutant colorectal cancer cells by targeting GAPDH
    Yun J, Mullarky E, Lu C, Bosch KN, Kavalier A, Rivera K, et al. Science. 2015;350(6266):1391–6.
  22. High-dose vitamin C administration inhibits the invasion and proliferation of melanoma cells in mice ovary
    Nakanishi K, Hiramoto K, Sato EF, Ooi K. Biol Pharm Bull. 2021;44(1):75–81.
  23. Vitamin C induces human melanoma A375 cell apoptosis via Bax- and Bcl-2-mediated mitochondrial pathways
    Chen XY, Chen Y, Qu CJ, Pan ZH, Qin Y, Zhang X, et al. Oncol Lett. 2019;18(4):3880–6.
  24. L-ascorbic acid (vitamin C) induces the apoptosis of B16 murine melanoma cells via a caspase-8-independent pathway
    Kang JS, Cho D, Kim Y-I, Hahm E, Yang Y, Kim D, et al. Cancer Immunol Immunother. 2003;52(11):693–8.
  25. Ascorbate induces apoptosis in melanoma cells by suppressing Clusterin expression
    Mustafi S, Sant DW, Liu Z-J, Wang G. Sci Rep. 2017;7(1):3671.
  26. Antitumor effect of pharmacologic ascorbate in the B16 murine melanoma model
    Serrano OK, Parrow NL, Violet P-C, Yang J, Zornjak J, Basseville A, et al. Free Radic Biol Med. 2015;87:193–203.
  27. Mechanisms of Ascorbate-induced cytotoxicity in pancreatic Cancer
    Du J, Martin SM, Levine M, Wagner BA, Buettner GR, Wang S, et al. Clin Cancer Res. 2010;16(2):509–20.
  28. Pharmacological ascorbic acid suppresses syngeneic tumor growth and metastases in hormone-refractory prostate cancer
    Pollard HB, Levine MA, Eidelman O, Pollard M. In Vivo. 2010;24(3):249–55.
  29. Increased tumoral microenvironmental pH improves cytotoxic effect of pharmacologic ascorbic acid in castration-resistant prostate Cancer cells
    Li Z, He P, Luo G, Shi X, Yuan G, Zhang B, et al. Front Pharmacol. 2020;11:570939.
  30. Pharmacological ascorbate induces cytotoxicity in prostate cancer cells through ATP depletion and induction of autophagy
    Chen P, Yu J, Chalmers B, Drisko J, Yang J, Li B, et al. Anti-Cancer Drugs. 2012;23(4):437–44.
  31. Vitamin C counteracts miR-302/367-induced reprogramming of human breast cancer cells and restores their invasive and proliferative capacity
    Ramezankhani B, Taha MF, Javeri A. J Cell Physiol. 2019;234(3):2672–82.
  32. Vitamin C inhibits metastasis of peritoneal tumors by preventing spheroid formation in ID8 murine epithelial peritoneal Cancer model
    Xu Y, Guo X, Wang G, Zhou C. Front Pharmacol. 2020;11:645.
  33. Vitamin C supplementation had no side effect in non-cancer, but had anticancer properties in ovarian cancer cells
    Gregoraszczuk EL, Zajda K, Tekla J, Respekta N, Zdybał P, Such A. Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 2020;3:1–11.
  34. Vitamin C preferentially kills cancer stem cells in hepatocellular carcinoma via SVCT-2
    Lv H, Wang C, Fang T, Li T, Lv G, Han Q, et al. npj Precis Oncol. 2018;2(1):1.
  35. Cytotoxic and partial hepatoprotective activity of sodium ascorbate against hepatocellular carcinoma through inhibition of sulfatase-2 in vivo and in vitro
    Alyoussef A, Al-Gayyar MMH. Biomed Pharmacother. 2018;103:362–72.
  36. Preclinical Demonstration of Synergistic Active Nutrients/Drug (AND) Combination as a Potential Treatment for Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
    Volta V, Ranzato E, Martinotti S, Gallo S, Russo MV, Mutti L, et al. PLoS One. 2013;8(3):e58051.
  37. Selective Ascorbate toxicity in malignant mesothelioma
    Ranzato E, Biffo S, Burlando B. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2011;44(1):108–17.
  38. Vitamin C kills thyroid cancer cells through ROS-dependent inhibition of MAPK/ERK and PI3K/AKT pathways via distinct mechanisms
    Su X, Shen Z, Yang Q, Sui F, Pu J, Ma J, et al. Theranostics. 2019;9(15):4461–73.
  39. Vitamin C cytotoxicity and its effects in redox homeostasis and energetic metabolism in papillary thyroid carcinoma cell lines
    Tronci L, Serreli G, Piras C, Frau DV, Dettori T, Deiana M, et al. Antioxidants. 2021;10(5):809.
  40. Vitamin C promotes apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in Oral squamous cell carcinoma
    Zhou J, Chen C, Chen X, Fei Y, Jiang L, Wang G. Front Oncol. 2020;10:976.
  41. H2O2-mediated cytotoxicity of pharmacologic Ascorbate concentrations to neuroblastoma cells: potential role of lactate and ferritin
    Deubzer B, Mayer F, Kuçi Z, Niewisch M, Merkel G, Handgretinger R, et al. Cell Physiol Biochem. 2010;25(6):767–74.
  42. High dose Ascorbate causes both Genotoxic and metabolic stress in Glioma cells
    Castro M, Carson G, McConnell M, Herst P. Antioxidants. 2017;6(3):58.
  43. Current limitations of murine models in oncology for Ascorbate research
    Campbell EJ, Dachs GU. Front Oncol. 2014;4:282.
  44. Pharmacokinetic and anti-cancer properties of high dose ascorbate in solid tumours of ascorbate-dependent mice
    Campbell EJ, Vissers MCM, Wohlrab C, Hicks KO, Strother RM, BOzonet SM, et al. Free Radic Biol Med. 2016;99:451–62.
  45. Anti-cancer effect of pharmacologic ascorbate and its interaction with supplementary parenteral glutathione in preclinical cancer models
    Chen P, Stone J, Sullivan G, Drisko JA, Chen Q. Free Radic Biol Med. 2011;51(3):681–7.
  46. Inhibition of the development of metastases by dietary vitamin C:K3 combination
    Taper HS, Jamison JM, Gilloteaux J, Summers JL, Calderon PB. Life Sci. 2004;75(8):955–67.
  47. High-dose vitamin C enhances cancer immunotherapy
    Alessandro Magrì et al. Sci Transl Med. 2020 Feb 26;12(532):eaay8707.
  48. High-dose intravenous vitamin C, a promising multi-targeting agent in the treatment of cancer
    Franziska Böttger et al. J Exp Clin Cancer Res. 2021 Oct 30;40(1):343.
  49. High-Dose Vitamin C: Preclinical Evidence for Tailoring Treatment in Cancer Patients
    Manuela Giansanti et al. Cancers (Basel). 2021 Mar 20;13(6):1428.

At Wellbeing Medical Group, every high-dose vitamin C IV protocol at our London clinic is personally designed by Dr Saskia Kloppenburg Vieth based on your diagnosis, treatment plan and medical history. Every plan begins with a full eligibility assessment, including G6PD and kidney function checks. Contact us to discuss whether high-dose vitamin C is appropriate for your care.

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