Two members of the University of Iowa Department of Radiation Oncology are featured in a recent Medscape article examining renewed scientific interest in high-dose intravenous vitamin C as an adjunct to cancer treatment.
The piece centers on Garry Buettner, PhD, professor emeritus of radiation oncology and a longtime member of the Free Radical and Radiation Biology Program, whose four decades of research have helped establish the biochemical basis for ascorbate as a prooxidant in the tumor microenvironment. Buettner and his Iowa colleagues recently published findings showing that high-dose ascorbate enhanced the effectiveness of the chemotherapy agent azacytidine in preclinical cell and mouse studies.
Also cited is Bryan G. Allen, MBA, MD, PhD, Professor, Chair and DEO of Radiation Oncology and Chair of Translational Research in the department. Dr. Allen has led clinical and translational research on pharmacological ascorbate at Iowa for years, including studies evaluating its use alongside standard chemoradiation therapy and a Phase 2 clinical trial in glioblastoma patients.
The Medscape article, published April 20, 2026, traces the history of vitamin C in oncology and the current wave of preclinical and clinical investigation seeking to define its role in modern cancer care.