Work

Beyond redox: vitamin C in signaling, epigenetic regulation and protein modification—relevance to cancer therapy

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Vitamin C, a classical antioxidant, is increasingly recognized as a key regulator of cellular signaling networks, epigenetic, and post-translational regulation. As a cofactor of Fe 2+ /2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases, vitamin C promotes epigenomic changes by enhancing TET-dependent DNA demethylation and the activity of Jumonji-C domain-containing histone demethylase, thereby influencing key cellular processes including pluripotency, reprogramming, and differentiation. Recent studies have also uncovered a direct role for vitamin C in proteome regulation by modifying lysine residues, to generate vitcyl-lysine (a process termed as Vitcylation), opening new avenues for its therapeutic applications. These lesser-understood functions of vitamin C underpin its context-dependent roles in cancer and other disease states. Future mechanistic studies identifying targets of vitamin C-dependent protein modification and their consequences on epigenome regulation will be critical for advancing its therapeutic applications.

Source: Clinical Epigenetics

DOI: 10.1186/s13148-026-02211-z

Authors: Amisha S Hebbar, Sandra Nixon, Hanumappa Ananda, Manasa Nune, Vinay Kumar Rao

Institutions: Manipal Academy of Higher Education, University of Connecticut, UConn Health

Language: English

Topic: Vitamin C and Antioxidants Research

Subfield: Nutrition and Dietetics

Field: Nursing

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,890