[Fwd: [oleandersoup] Herbal extract inhibits pancreatic cancer development]

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--- [oleandersoup] Herbal extract inhibits pancreatic

cancer

development

Date: Wed, 16 Sep 2009 22:37:18 -0000

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To: oleandersoup

*Herbal extract inhibits pancreatic cancer development*

April 20th, 2009 - 2:15 pm ICT by ANI Tell a Friend -

Washington, Apr 20 (ANI): A herb used in traditional

medicine by many

Middle Eastern and Asian countries not only kill pancreatic

cancer cells

but also appears to inhibit development of pancreatic cancer

as a result

of its anti-inflammatory properties, researchers from the

Kimmel Cancer

Center at Jefferson found.

Hwyda Arafat, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of Surgery at

the

Jefferson Medical College of Jefferson University,

said that

thymoquinone, the major constituent of the oil extract from

a Middle

Eastern herbal seed called Nigella sativa, exhibited

anti-inflammatory

properties that reduced the release of inflammatory

mediators in

pancreatic cancer cells.

Dr. Arafat said that Nigella sativa seeds and oil, used in

traditional

medicine by many Middle Eastern and Asian countries, helps

treat a broad

array of diseases, including some immune and inflammatory

disorders.

Previous studies have also shown it to have anti-cancer

effects on

prostate and colon cancers.

Based upon their previously published findings that

thymoquinone

inhibits histone deacetylases (HDACs), Dr. Arafat and her

colleagues

compared the anti-inflammatory properties of thymoquinone and

trichostatin A, an HDAC inhibitor that has previously shown to

ameliorate inflammation-associated cancers.

The researchers used pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA)

cells, some

of which were pretreated with the cytokine TNF-alpha to

induce inflammation.

Thymoquinone almost completely abolished the expression of

several

inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-alpha, interleukin-1beta,

interleukin-8, -2 and MCP-1, an effect that was more

superior to the

effect of trichostatin A.

The herb also inhibited the activation and sy nthesis of

NF-kappaB, a

transcription factor that has been implicated in

inflammation-associated

cancer.

Activation of NF-kappaB has been observed in pancreatic

cancer and may

be a factor in pancreatic cancer's resistance to

chemotherapeutic agents.

When animal models of pancreatic cancer were treated with

thymoquinone,

67 percent of the tumours were significantly shrunken, and

the levels of

proinflammatory cytokines in the tumours were significantly

reduced.

Inflammation has been implicated in the development of

several solid

tumour malignancies. Chronic pancreatitis, both hereditary

and sporadic,

is associated with the risk of developing pancreatic cancer.

" Not only patients with chronic pancreatitis could benefit

from this,

but also several other groups with risk of development or

recurrence of

pancreatic cancer, such as high-risk family members and

post-surgical

patients. These potent effects show promise for the herb as

a potential

preventive and therapeutic strategy for pancreatic cancer. More

importantly, the herb and oil are safe when used moderately,

and have

been used for thousands of years without reported toxic

effects. " Dr.

Arafat said

The study was presented at the AACR 100th Annual Meeting

2009 in Denver.

(ANI)