Utilization of Vitamin E Analogs to Protect Normal Tissues While Enhancing Antitumor Effects.

Despite advances in radiation delivery techniques, side effects of radiation therapy due to radiation exposure of normal tissues are common and can limit the deliverable dose to tumors. Significant interests lie in pharmacologic modifiers that may protect against normal tissue toxicity from cancer treatment while simultaneously enhancing the tumor response to therapy. While no such treatments are available in the clinic, this is an area of active preclinical and clinical research. This review summarizes research studies that provide evidence to indicate that tocotrienols, natural forms of vitamin E, are potent radiation protectors and may also have antitumor effects. Hence, several current clinical trials test tocotrienols as concomitant treatment in cancer therapies.