Ginkgo biloba inhibits growth of gastric cancer cells

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Ginkgo biloba inhibits growth of gastric cancer cells

 

 

Ginkgo biloba appears to induce apoptosis in gastric cancer cells according to

researchers at Yangzhou University in China. Apoptosis is the process of

programmed cell death. Some call it “the deliberate suicide of a cell in a

multicellular organism for the greater good of the whole individual.”

 

Thirty patients with gastric cancer were treated with ginkgo capsules. The areas

of their tumors were measured by electron gastroscope before and after

treatment, then the inhibitory and effective rates were calculated.

 

Researchers found that within three days of treatment ginkgo “could reduce the

area of tumors and the effective rate was 73.4%.” They also noted that ginkgo

“could induce apoptosis (cell death) and differentiation in tumor cells of

patients with gastric cancer. Ginkgo could inhibit the growth of human gastric

cancer cells.”

 

Considerable research has demonstrated that antioxidant supplements can often

induce apoptosis in cancer cells. Ginkgo appears to have this effect by

influencing activity of certain genes which are involved in cancer cell

proliferation.

 

Scientists concluded that “the therapeutic mechanism of ginkgo on human gastric

cancer may relate to its effects on the expression of c-myc, bcl-2 and c-fos

genes, which can inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis and differentiation

of tumor cells.

 

World Journal of Gastroenterology 9(11):2424-2427, 2003

 

 

 

 

 

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