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Plant Compounds May Curb Pancreatic Cancer Growth
Tue Apr 16, 1:29 PM ET 2002

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Several studies have shown that a group of antioxidant compounds found in grapes, green tea, soybeans and wine may lower the risk of a range of cancers, but exactly how these powerful compounds work has remained unclear.

Now, researchers report that a plant-derived polyphenol can slow the growth of pancreatic cancer cells in mice and curb the spread of cells by triggering a series or reactions that causes the cells to self-destruct, a process known as apoptosis. The study is published in the April issue of the International Journal of Cancer.

In humans, pancreatic cancer is a disease in which less than 1% of patients can expect to live for 5 years after diagnosis. Until the tumor grows large, there are no symptoms, and the cancer usually spreads to the lymph nodes, liver or lungs before it can be detected.

In the study, the researchers investigated the effects of quercetin--a type of antioxidant polyphenol commonly found in apples--in mice given injections of human pancreatic cells. The mice used in the study are a specially bred strain that lacks an immune system, so that they quickly grow tumors when cancer cells are injected.

The researchers also looked at how four different polyphenols interacted with rat pancreatic cancer cells in a laboratory culture dish.

Quercetin caused apoptosis, decreased the growth of the main tumor and inhibited the spread of malignant cells, the researchers report. Mice treated with quercetin survived for about 75 days, compared with 67 days in mice not given the compound.

Genistein, another type of polyphenol compound found in soy, also prevented the spread of cells and inhibited the growth of the primary tumor in mice while trans-resveratrol, found in wine and grapes, caused apoptosis in laboratory-grown cells, according to the report.

The studies suggest that the "beneficial effects of quercetin and the other polyphenolic compounds were due to their ability to cause apoptosis," Dr. Michelle Mouria from the Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System and the University of California, Los Angeles, and colleagues conclude.

"Such results...have important implications for combinations of polyphenolic compounds for cancer prevention," they add.

More study is needed to determine if the compounds can help treat or prevent cancer in humans.
SOURCE: International Journal of Cancer 2002:98;761-769.
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