Major Discovery Made in Prostate Cancer

UPI.com | 06.09.2010

A French-led international team of scientists says it has discovered how polyphenols in red wine and green tea inhibit prostate cancer growth.

The scientists -- who say their finding might lead to a major advance in the treatment of prostate cancer -- said they discovered antioxidants in red wine and green tea disrupt an important cell-signaling pathway necessary for prostate cancer growth.

The researchers, led by the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research in Paris, said their findings that appear in the early online edition of The FASEB Journal, might lead to the development of drugs that could stop or slow cancer progression, or improve current treatments.

"Not only does (the) signaling pathway play a role in prostate cancer, but it also plays a role in other cancers, such as colon cancer, breast cancer and gastric cancers," said Dr. Gerald Weissmann, editor-in-chief of The FASEB Journal.

In the experiment, three groups of mice were given drinking water, drinking water with a green tea compound known as EGCg, or drinking water with a different green tea compound, polyphenon E. Then, human prostate cancer cells were implanted in the mice. The results showed a dramatic decrease in tumor size in the mice drinking the green tea mixtures.

"The profound impact the antioxidants in red wine and green tea have on our bodies is more than anyone would have dreamt just 25 years ago," Weissmann said. "As long as they are taken in moderation, all signs show that red wine and green tea may be ranked among the most potent 'health foods' we know."

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