Do Glioblastoma Cancer Cells Need Vitamins? The Role of Vitamin B1
7 affiliations
- 1Institute of Health Sciences, Collegium Medicum, University of Zielona Gora, Zyty 28 St., 65-417 Zielona Gora, Poland
- 2Department of Biochemistry and Medical Chemistry, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Al. Powstańców Wlkp. 72, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland
- 3Department of Physiology in Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Zolnierska 48, 70-210 Szczecin, Poland
- 4Institute of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of Szczecin, Mickiewicza 16 St., 70-383 Szczecin, Poland
- 5The Centre for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Szczecin, Wąska 13 St., 71-415 Szczecin, Poland
- 6Department of Cellular Signalling, Mossakowski Medical Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawińskiego 5, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
- 7Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Al. Powstańców Wielkopolskich 72, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland
Abstract
Background/Objectives: In this study, we investigated whether targeting thiamine (vitamin B1) metabolism could be useful in the treatment of glioblastoma. Methods: The study was conducted using LN-229 and T98G glioblastoma cell lines, as well as glioblastoma tissue samples obtained from up to 30 patients. The effects of thiamine and the thiamine antimetabolites oxythiamine and amprolium on cell viability were assessed using the MTT assay. The effects of hypoxia and temozolomide (TMZ), as well as gene expression in tissue samples, were analyzed using qRT-PCR. The expression of SLC19A2, SLC19A3, TPK1, SLC25A19, SLC35F3, and SLC44A4 was evaluated. Results: Higher thiamine concentrations increased the MTT metabolic activity of glioblastoma cells. Oxythiamine and amprolium reduced MTT metabolic activity, although their inhibitory effects reached a plateau and neither compound enhanced the effect of TMZ. Chronic hypoxia reduces thiamine metabolism. The expression of proteins involved in thiamine metabolism is lower in glioblastoma tissue than in peritumoral tissue. Conclusions: Overall, targeting thiamine metabolism does not appear to improve the efficacy of TMZ-based glioblastoma treatment. However, the observed viability-promoting effect of higher thiamine concentrations indicates that excessive thiamine intake or supplementation in patients with glioblastoma should be approached with caution and requires further clinical investigation.
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BibTeX
@article{korbecki2026glioblastoma,
title = {{Do Glioblastoma Cancer Cells Need Vitamins? The Role of Vitamin B1}},
author = {Jan Korbecki and Mateusz Bosiacki and Patrycja Kupnicka and Marta Tkacz and Maciej Tarnowski and Patrycja Kłos and Magdalena Szenejko and Magdalena Gąssowska-Dobrowolska and Krzysztof Safranow and Agnieszka Kolasa},
journal = {Cancers},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/cancers18213423},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/18/21/3423},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Do Glioblastoma Cancer Cells Need Vitamins? The Role of Vitamin B1
AU - Jan Korbecki
AU - Mateusz Bosiacki
AU - Patrycja Kupnicka
AU - Marta Tkacz
AU - Maciej Tarnowski
AU - Patrycja Kłos
AU - Magdalena Szenejko
AU - Magdalena Gąssowska-Dobrowolska
AU - Krzysztof Safranow
AU - Agnieszka Kolasa
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/22
JO - Cancers
DO - 10.3390/cancers18213423
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/18/21/3423
AB - Background/Objectives: In this study, we investigated whether targeting thiamine (vitamin B1) metabolism could be useful in the treatment of glioblastoma. Methods: The study was conducted using LN-229 and T98G glioblastoma cell lines, as well as glioblastoma tissue samples obtained from up to 30 patients. The effects of thiamine and the thiamine antimetabolites oxythiamine and amprolium on cell viability were assessed using the MTT assay. The effects of hypoxia and temozolomide (TMZ), as well as gene expression in tissue samples, were analyzed using qRT-PCR. The expression of SLC19A2, SLC19A3, TPK1, SLC25A19, SLC35F3, and SLC44A4 was evaluated. Results: Higher thiamine concentrations increased the MTT metabolic activity of glioblastoma cells. Oxythiamine and amprolium reduced MTT metabolic activity, although their inhibitory effects reached a plateau and neither compound enhanced the effect of TMZ. Chronic hypoxia reduces thiamine metabolism. The expression of proteins involved in thiamine metabolism is lower in glioblastoma tissue than in peritumoral tissue. Conclusions: Overall, targeting thiamine metabolism does not appear to improve the efficacy of TMZ-based glioblastoma treatment. However, the observed viability-promoting effect of higher thiamine concentrations indicates that excessive thiamine intake or supplementation in patients with glioblastoma should be approached with caution and requires further clinical investigation.
SN - 2072-6694
ER -