Biochemical basis for cancer-blocking properties of cruciferous veg.

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New Research on Brassica Vegetables' Isothiocyanate   Posted by:

" Bag " @...   Date: Thu Jan 27, 2011 8:12

am ((PST))

This is from Fresh Plaza Newsletter. It sounds old news except for how

it could block P53.  

 

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US (WA): Discovery of a biochemical basis for broccoli's cancer-fighting

ability

Scientists are reporting discovery of a potential biochemical basis for

the apparent cancer-fighting ability of broccoli and its veggie cousins.

They found for the first time that certain substances in the vegetables

appear to target and block a defective gene associated with cancer.

Their report, which could lead to new strategies for preventing and

treating cancer, appears in ACS' Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.

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.

Source: eurekalert.org

Publication date: 1/27/2011