Broccoli Chemical Stems Breast Cancer

June 22, 2010

[vtalchoice.com]

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Broccoli Chemical Stems Breast Cancer Cells Sulfur compounds in broccoli

stop creation of breast cancer stem cells; Effect should extend to kale,

cabbage, and broccoli's many " cruciferous " cousins

by Craig Weatherby

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As a killer of women, breast cancer runs a distant second to

cardiovascular disease ... but thats no comfort. Some 94,280 Americans

will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year and 40,610 will die from

the disease, according to the American Cancer Society. New findings

suggest that sulforaphane a compound abundant in broccoli, broccoli

sprouts, and other cruciferous veggies might help prevent or treat

breast cancer by blocking the creation of cancer stem cells. A

University of Michigan team reports that sulforaphane killed cancer stem

cells and prevented new tumors from growing both in mice implanted with

human breast cancer cells, and in cultured breast cancer cells (Li Y et

al. 2010). Key Points

- Sulforaphane (SFN) from broccoli killed a majority of cancer stem

cells in mice, and stopped breast tumor growth.

- The benefits of SFN were seen both in mice given human breast tumors

and in isolated human breast cancer cells.

- The mice received large amounts of SFN by injection levels that cannot

be achieved by eating broccoli or other cruciferous vegetables.

- However, the researchers said the levels of SFN needed to impact

cancer could be achieved by taking the broccoli extract from which they

extracted the SFN.

Sulforaphane or SFN for short has been tested in various cancers,

with mixed results. Breast cancer has often been selected as a subject

because of the link, seen in epidemiological studies, between eating

more broccoli and being less likely to have pre-menopausal breast

cancer. Broccoli and its cousins versus cancer the backgroundTwo years

ago, we summarized current research into the anti-cancer properties of

cruciferous veggies, which abound in sulfur-based compounds called

glucosinolates (see Broccoli and Company vs. Cancer and Aging [

http://newsletter.vitalchoice.com/e_article001044316.cfm?x=b11,0,w

.. A few months later, scientists at UC Santa Barbara reported

intriguing findings about SFN a key glucosinolate compound. SFN had

already been shown to reduce the incidence and rate of artificially

induced mammary tumors in animals. And we know that it both inhibits the

growth of cultured human breast cancer cells and leads them to undergo

apoptosis a sort of cellular suicide. The UC Santa Barbara team found

that SFN stops the spread of human tumor cells by blocking cancer-cell

division and it works in virtually the same way as the plant-derived

anti-cancer drugs taxol and vincristine. (Azarenko O et al. 2008; see

Broccoli Curbs Breast Cancer like Chemo Drugs [

http://newsletter.vitalchoice.com/e_article001303265.cfm?x=b6CLG4Q,b1kJpvRw,w

..) While SFN is much weaker than taxol or vincristine, results

like those from the UC Santa Barbara study suggest that frequent

enjoyment of cruciferous veggies may help deter or curb certain cancers.

The cruciferous family includes broccoli, kale, cabbage, cauliflower,

collard greens, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, turnip, rutabaga, radish,

daikon, horseradish, mustard (seeds and greens), wasabi, and more.

Cancer stem cells ... the latest target of research Recent studies

indicate that cancer stem cells have the capacity to help tumors resist

attacks and to promote recurrence of cancer. Evidence is building for

the idea that various kinds of cancer including cancers of the breast

are driven and sustained by small amounts of cancer stem cells. While

the exact nature and role of cancer stem cells remain unclear, they seem

a logical target for drug development and for using foods to help

prevent, kill, or cripple breast cancer. The Michigan researchers note

that because current chemotherapies can do little against advanced or

metastatic breast cancer, we need new approaches including ones that

target cancer stem cells.

Now, encouraging results from the University of Michigan lend new

support to anti-cancer hopes for broccoli and company hopes that, while

unproven, have become increasingly credible. Importantly, the new

research suggests that there is yet another way in which the SFN found

in broccoli and its cruciferous cousins may curb breast cancer. Study

finds broccoli extract could stem breast cancer cellsThe new studies

conducted both in mice implanted with human breast tumors and in

isolated human breast cancer cells come from researchers based at the

University of Michigans College of Pharmacy (Li Y et al. 2010). Mice

implanted with human breast cancer were injected with varying

concentrations of sulforaphane (SFN) derived from a concentrated

commercial broccoli extract. They used several methods to track the

number of various kinds of cancer stem cells in the tumors, and any

changes in those numbers. The Michigan team reported that sulforaphane

injections decreased certain cancer cell populations by 65 to 80 percent

and reduced the size of primary mammospheres by eight to 125 times and

cut their number by 45 to 75 percent. (Primary mammospheres are

incipient, potentially cancerous mammary glands.) Daily injection with

sulforaphane for two weeks reduced a key kind of cancer stem cell by

more than 50 percent, in various kinds of implanted tumors.

Interestingly, in addition to eliminating all cancer stem cells in the

mice, those animals tumor cells failed to grow when they were

re-implanted into other mice. The results also showed that sulforaphane

down-regulated a tumor self-renewal pathway called Wnt/beta-catenin,

making this known bodily mechanism one possible explanation for the

compounds efficacy. A (mild) caution on cruciferous veggies Cruciferous

vegetables contain enzymes that interfere with the formation of thyroid

hormone, but cooking for 30 minutes significantly reduces these

compounds. And, like grapefruit, cruciferous vegetables promote an

enzyme (CYP1A2) that is responsible for the elimination of toxins a

class of compounds which, from the bodys perspective, includes most

medical drugs. Thus, a diet high in cruciferous vegetables could

increase the rate at which drugs are metabolized, thereby reducing their

efficacy. These effects provide another rationale for developing drugs

or supplements that are free of these agents. Just dont overdo

consumption of members of the cruciferous family, and cook them when

possible.

Critically, the researchers noted that the sulforaphane injections

had little effect on the animals normal, healthy cells. And in addition

to its known anti-cancer actions, SFN possesses properties that make it

a plausible food-borne cancer fighter. As the authors of the new study

wrote, Sulforaphane from broccoli extracts is efficiently and rapidly

absorbed in the human small intestine and distributed throughout the

body. (Li Y et al. 2010) Broccoli and its cruciferous cousins probably

cant kill existing cancerThe concentrations of SFN used in the study

were higher than what can be achieved by eating broccoli, broccoli

sprouts, or other cruciferous vegetables. While prior research suggests

that the levels of SFN needed to impact cancer can be absorbed by the

body from the broccoli extract they used to obtain pure SFN, the

supplements positive or adverse effects in people, if any, are unknown.

While broccoli extracts are available in capsule form, their composition

and SFN levels may vary widely. The Michigan team is developing a method

to extract and preserve sulforaphane and hope to conduct a clinical

trial to test it for the prevention and treatment of breast cancer.

According to lead researcher Max Wicha, M.D., This research suggests a

potential new treatment that could be combined with other compounds to

target breast cancer stem cells. Developing treatments that effectively

target the cancer stem cell population is essential for improving

outcomes. You can say that again, doc its long past time that medical

research expanded its focus from trial-and-error development of

synthetic drugs to include likely food-borne allies. Sources

- Azarenko O, Okouneva T, Singletary KW, Jordan MA, L.

Suppression of microtubule dynamic instability and turnover in MCF7

breast cancer cells by sulforaphane. Carcinogenesis. 2008

Dec;29(12):2360-8. Epub 2008 Oct 23.

- Cornblatt BS, Ye L, Dinkova-Kostova AT, Erb M, Fahey JW, Singh NK,

Chen MS, Stierer T, Garrett-Mayer E, Argani P, son NE, Talalay P,

Kensler TW, Visvanathan K. Preclinical and clinical evaluation of

sulforaphane for chemoprevention in the breast. Carcinogenesis. 2007

Jul;28(7):1485-90. Epub 2007 Mar 7.

- Fahey JW, Zhang Y, Talalay P. Broccoli sprouts: an exceptionally rich

source of inducers of enzymes that protect against chemical carcinogens.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1997 Sep 16;94(19):10367-72.

- Li Y, Zhang T, Korkaya H, Liu S, Lee HF, Newman B, Yu Y, Clouthier SG,

Schwartz SJ, Wicha MS, Sun D. Sulforaphane, a dietary component of

broccoli/broccoli sprouts, inhibits breast cancer stem cells. Clin

Cancer Res. 2010 May 1;16(9):2580-90. Epub 2010 Apr 13.

- Rungapamestry V, Duncan AJ, Fuller Z, Ratcliffe B. Effect of cooking

brassica vegetables on the subsequent hydrolysis and metabolic fate of

glucosinolates. Proc Nutr Soc. 2007 Feb;66(1):69-81. Review.

- Shapiro TA, Fahey JW, Dinkova-Kostova AT, Holtzclaw WD, son KK,

Wade KL, Ye L, Talalay P. Safety, tolerance, and metabolism of broccoli

sprout glucosinolates and isothiocyanates: a clinical phase I study.

Nutr Cancer. 2006;55(1):53-62.

June 22, 2010

Is this the product called Oncoplex?

In a message dated 6/22/2010 7:32:39 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,

robert-blau@... writes: