About the Recent University of Missouri Mouse Study

Recently, a highly misleading press release was issued by the University of Missouri regarding a small mouse study by Maric et al., 2022. Its bombastic headline caught the attention of numerous news outlets, which erroneously began to spread the idea that there is a link between NR and cancer.

In fact, previously published studies (linked below) have yielded results that directly contradict the Maric/University of Missouri study. Furthermore, two other studies cited in the discussion by Maric et al. administered NMN, not NR, as NAD+ precursors.

Called the Cancer Conclusion Scientifically Inaccurate

Dr. Carles Canto, one of the study’s co-authors and a leading global NAD+ researcher, tweeted a response to the conclusions drawn from the study he in fact took part in. His tweet is copied here for reference.

A CO-AUTHOR OF THE STUDY

The simple answer is no. Some recent misleading news around this subject warrants a more detailed response. Let’s debunk the clickbait headlines around nicotinamide riboside (NR) and cancer.

Does Tru Niagen Cause Cancer?

THE TRU STORY

Tru Niagen Scientific Advisor and a Leading Cancer Researcher

Dr. Brunhilde (“Brunie”) Felding is a renowned breast cancer researcher who has devoted most of her career to exploring the way cancer metastasizes to other areas of the body including the brain (tumor metastasis to the brain was implicated in the false headlines generated by the Maric study). Felding has become a preeminent expert on cancer metastasis, having authored or coauthored over 40 studies exploring this subject from a range of perspectives.

MEET DR. BRUNIE FELDING

Dr. Brunie Felding, PhD
Member, Tru Niagen Scientific Advisory Board
Associate Professor of Molecular Medicine, Scripps Research Institute
Renowned breast cancer researcher focused on NAD+ supplementation

Felding’s work has identified compromised cellular respiration, which leads to an unbalance in NAD+ levels, as a root cause of tumor metastasis. She has shown time and again in preclinical studies that healthy cellular respiration and balanced NAD+ levels can slow or inhibit metastasis in breast cancer subjects.

NAD+ Precursor, Favored by the Scientific Community

Contrary to what one headline might lead people to believe, NR is clinically proven to be safe for humans. Our patented form of this supernutrient, Niagen, has been reviewed and accepted by regulators in different markets around the world and studied in 26 (and counting) peer-reviewed, published clinical studies, with no adverse effects.

And it has been successfully reviewed by the United States FDA an unprecedented three times and authorized by Health Canada, the European Commission, and others.

It goes without saying that as a company that has positioned itself as the champion of one ingredient (and the science of NAD+), we take safety seriously. That's why Tru Niagen is backed by over 300 published scientific studies and over 250 global research collaborations.

NR IS A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE

The Council for Responsible Nutrition Also Calls Out “False Claims”

Note that on November 18 the University of Missouri amended the title and other parts of their press release due to all the complaints from the scientific community on how misleading it was.

A few weeks after the amendment was deployed, the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) weighed in to state that even though the changes were more agreeable, the University of Missouri left out some vital information. Specifically, a representative from CRN stated:

Preclinical Studies That Contradict Maric Et Al:

"Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Precursor Suppresses Hepatocellular Cancer Progression in Mice" Nutrients 15, no. 6: 1447. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/6/1447 “Targeting Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) metabolism has emerged as a promising anti-cancer strategy; we aimed to explore the health benefits of boosting NAD levels with nicotinamide riboside (NR) on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).”

“Disturbed Mitochondrial Dynamics in CD8+ Tils Reinforce T Cell Exhaustion.” Nature Immunology volume 21. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41590-020-0793-3 “Strikingly, administration of alginate-mixed NR via intratumoral injection induced robust suppression of melanoma growth…melanoma and colon tumor growth was significantly impeded in NR-fed mice, and combined treatment with the NR diet and immune checkpoint blockade elicited additive antitumor responses.”

“Nicotinamide Riboside Alleviates Cisplatin-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy via SIRT2 Activation.” Neurooncol Adv. 2022 Jan-Dec; 4(1): vdac101 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9297957/ “NR may provide increased protection from cancer treatment toxicity in select patients or clinical settings, and NAD+ expression could act as a predictive marker for toxicity risk and chemotherapy response.”

“Nicotinamide Riboside Relieves Paclitaxel-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy and Enhances Suppression of Tumor Growth in Tumor-Bearing Rats.” Pain. 2020 Oct; 161(10): 2364–2375 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7508763/ “Concomitant administration of NR during paclitaxel treatment further decreased tumor growth. Administration of NR also decreased the percentage of Ki67-positive tumor cells in these rats.”

“Nicotinamide Riboside Vitamin B3 Mitigated C26 Adenocarcinoma–Induced Cancer Cachexia.” Frontiers in Pharmacology June 2021 Volume 12 Article 6654935 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2021.665493/full “Dietary intake of the NR-containing pellet diet significantly attenuated cancer cachexia in a mouse model.”

The Science Is on Our Side

There are few if any other dietary supplements in the NAD-boosting space that have the far-reaching regulatory acceptance and scientific backing that Tru Niagen has.

If you have questions or concerns around this matter, please do not hesitate to contact us at customercare@truniagen.com and one of our safety experts will get back to you as soon as possible.

And while you can rest assured that it’s safe, if you do have cancer, it’s best to check with your healthcare provider before starting Tru Niagen (or any dietary supplement).

While the release has been updated with information clarifying the study was conducted in small animal models, it still omitted that the mice were immunocompromised and does not provide a factual and accurate overview of the study. The original press release headline falsely linked NR with cancer and the updated version does the bare minimum to rectify the false claims.

You can learn more about CRN’s position and amendments to the study at Nutrition Insight.

Animal Study Published March 2023 Reinforces NR Safety and Supports Continued NAD-Focused Research

A recently published preclinical study (linked at the bottom of this page) adds to the mounting evidence that the University of Missouri claim was inaccurate.

The study, led by Dr. Lili Yang (a researcher affiliated with the ChromaDex External Research Program) published in the journal Nutrients, demonstrated that NR is an efficient and well-studied NAD+ precursor, and suggested that increasing NAD+ improves liver function and health. The study went beyond the animal model and also looked at both normal and cancerous human liver cells. Among the interesting findings was the fact that NAD+ levels were significantly lower in human liver cancer tissues compared to normal liver tissues.

ChromaDex Chief Scientific Advisor Dr. Charles Brenner praised Dr. Yang’s work and the promise of NR:

STUDY SPOTLIGHT:

Dr. Charles Brenner
Member, Tru Niagen Scientific Advisory Board
Chair of the Department of Diabetes and Cancer Metabolism, City of Hope
World's foremost authority on NAD+ metabolism

New work from Dr. Lili Yang shows the powerful potential of NR to improve liver health and resiliency against conditions of metabolic stress.