How broccoli fights cancer
January 27th, 2011 - 1:58 pm ICT by ANIWashington, Jan 27 (ANI): Scientists have discovered how broccoli and its veggie cousins fight cancer.
They found for the first time that certain substances in the vegetables appear to target and block a defective gene associated with cancer.
The finding could lead to new strategies for preventing and treating cancer.
Fung-Lung Chung and colleagues showed in previous experiments that substances called isothiocyanates (or ITCs) - found in broccoli, cauliflower, watercress, and other cruciferous vegetables - appear to stop the growth of cancer.
But nobody knew exactly how these substances work, a key to developing improved strategies for fighting cancer in humans. The tumor suppressor gene p53 appears to play a key role in keeping cells healthy and preventing them from starting the abnormal growth that is a hallmark of cancer.
When mutated, p53 does not offer that protection, and those mutations occur in half of all human cancers. ITCs might work by targeting this gene, the report suggests.
The scientists studied the effects of certain naturally-occurring ITCs on a variety of cancer cells, including lung, breast and colon cancer, with and without the defective tumor suppressor gene.
They found that ITCs are capable of removing the defective p53 protein but apparently leave the normal one alone.
Drugs based on natural or custom-engineered ITCs could improve the effectiveness of current cancer treatments or lead to new strategies for treating and preventing cancer.
The report appears in ACS’ Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. (ANI)
- Genetic change helps lung tumors spread to other parts of the body - Apr 07, 2011
- Small molecule may deactivate enemy of cancer-fighting p53 - Dec 08, 2010
- Broccoli and brussels sprouts boost sunscreens' cancer fighting abilities - Apr 27, 2011
- Watercress may help fight cancer - Aug 22, 2010
- Genetic mutation linked to premature birth identified - Feb 02, 2010
- Green vegetables vital for breast cancer patients - Apr 05, 2012
- Spice up broccoli to fight cancer better - Sep 14, 2011
- Drug combo found effective against pancreatic cancer - Jun 16, 2010
- Watercress may help fight breast cancer - Sep 14, 2010
- Genetic predisposition for breast, kidney cancers discovered - Dec 23, 2010
- Protein aggregation plays significant role in cancer development - Mar 30, 2011
- Gene linked to spread of eye melanoma identified - Nov 05, 2010
- Scientists provide genetic evidence that antioxidants can help treat cancer - Feb 16, 2011
- Gene mutations help leukemia drug fight squamous cell lung cancer - Apr 04, 2011
- Knee protectors can cause skin problems - Jan 12, 2011
Tags: abnormal growth, acs, acs journal, broccoli, cancer cells, cancer treatments, cauliflower, colon cancer, cruciferous vegetables, defective gene, fight cancer, gene p53, hallmark, human cancers, journal of medicinal chemistry, key role, mutations, p53 protein, tumor suppressor gene, watercress