Green Tea

[Guest guest]

Hi Folks - historically I have not been much of a believer of alternative

medicine (with some exceptions: I take Naltrexone, Selenium, and Turmeric).

However, the green tea issue has really been getting my attention.

We have been talking about green tea on this page.

Below is another interesting article.

Green Tea Component Destroys Leukemia Cells

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Apr 05 - A component of green tea, epigallocatechin

(EGCG), seems to destroy chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells by interrupting a

key signaling pathway, according to a report in the March 2nd online issue of

Blood.

" We're continuing to look for therapeutic agents that are nontoxic to the

patient but kill cancer cells, and this finding with EGCG is an excellent

start, "

senior author Dr. Neil E. Kay, from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota,

said in a statement. " Understanding this mechanism and getting these positive

early results give us a lot to work with in terms of offering patients with

this disease more effective, easily tolerated therapies earlier. "

In a previous report, Dr. Kay's team had shown that chronic lymphocytic

leukemia cells release vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) under normal

and

low oxygen conditions. Moreover, chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells are also

known to express VEGF membrane receptors. Together, these findings suggested

that VEGF was an important survival factor for chronic lymphocytic leukemia

cells.

In the new study, the researchers assessed the effect of EGCG on VEGF

signaling and chronic lymphocytic leukemia cell survival. As a known receptor

tyrosine kinase inhibitor, EGCG could inhibit the phosphorylation of VEGF

membrane

receptors, thereby interfering with survival signals in chronic lymphocytic

leukemia cells.

The authors found that VEGF made chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells more

resistant to apoptosis, a finding that was associated with the phosphorylation

of

VEGF membrane receptors. Treatment with EGCG suppressed this phosphorylation,

resulting in caspase activation and leukemic cell death.

Although further studies are needed to clarify the mechanisms involved, the

authors believe that given its relatively nontoxic nature, EGCG could " be

tested in early stage high-risk individuals with B-cell chronic lymphocytic

leukemia. "

Blood, March 2, 2004 online edition.