Episode 67: Qi Chen

Qi Chen PhD is a tenured associate professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Qi did her post doctoral training with Mark Levine, MD at NIDDK at the National Institutes of Health where she completed seminal research in intravenous vitamin C. Qi continues this research at the University of Kansas Medical Center and discusses her path to exciting discoveries about the activity and mechanisms of action of intravenous vitamin C.

Qi Chen revealed the mechanisms of action for IVC. The ascorbate-generated peroxide is essential in exerting anti-tumor effects. IVC is multiple-targeting and causes genotoxic and metabolic stress that make cancer cells more susceptible than normal cells. The differentiated sensitivity has a root in the Warburg Effect.

Qi's research on IVC and cancer treatment has been widely recognized by the academic and scientific society. The work has been featured in prestigious journals, and reported by national and international health media.

Qi Chen's lab documented that the combination of IVC with chemotherapies had synergistic effects in tumor inhibition. With collaboration with clinicians, Qi translated the positive animal studies into clinical trials. A Phase I/II study in stage III and IV ovarian cancer patients showed that adding IVC to standard platinum/taxane chemotherapy was safe and well-tolerated. In addition, it reduced toxic side effects associated with chemotherapy. Time to disease relapse/progress trended towards prolongation. We also conducted a Phase I/II study in locally advanced and metastatic pancreatic cancer. IVC did not interfere with pharmacokinetics of chemotherapeutic drugs, and potentially improved progress free survival.