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Source: Case Western Reserve University

1997-12-18

URL: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1997/12/971218085622.htm

 

 

Researchers Find Major Green Tea Ingredient Kills Cancer Cells, Spares

Healthy Ones

 

CLEVELAND - In continuing studies of cancer preventing compounds in green

tea, researchers at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have

found an ingredient that kills cancer cells, while sparing healthy cells.

 

Investigators tested the ingredient, called epigallocatechin-3-gallate, on

cancerous human and mouse cells of the skin, lymph system, and prostate, and on

normal human skin cells. In the test tube, it led to apoptosis, or programmed

cell death, in the cancer cells, but left the healthy cells unharmed.

 

Findings appear in the December 17 issue of the Journal of the National

Cancer Institute.

 

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate is a major constituent of the polyphenols found in

green tea. This compound has been shown in previous studies from CWRU and

elsewhere to prevent cancer in laboratory animals.

 

" We found that this particular compound, which is present in the amount of

about 200 mg in one cup of green tea, can kill a variety of cancer cells through

apoptosis without affecting the normal cells, " said Hasan Mukhtar, a

professor of dermatology at CWRU and senior author of the paper. The polyphenol

broke

the DNA of the cancer cells into fragments, a characteristic of apoptosis.

 

" The killing of cancer cells and the sparing of normal cells is very

interesting because apoptosis is a programmed cell death which is a normal

process

going on in the body all the time. It is a preferential way of elimination of

unwanted cells from the body, " said Mukhtar.

 

Polyphenols induce the demise of cancer cells, but scientists do not yet know

why this happens, said Mukhtar. " It is likely that this compound conveys a

message to cancer cells through a highly ordered and well-regulated signal

transduction pathway that says, 'You must commit suicide (programmed cell death)

or

I am going to kill you.' The cells then decide that instead of being

murdered, they will commit suicide, " said Mukhtar.

 

He feels that this finding leads investigators to a greater understanding of

the mechanism involved in the process. If they can decipher the molecular

mechanism by which green tea imparts protective effects, the knowledge may

provide

opportunities to interfere with cancer development through administration of

purified polyphenolic derivatives, said Mukhtar. " Green tea appears to be

potentially an ideal agent for chemoprevention. "

 

The investigators feel that the chemoprevention properties of green tea need

to be evaluated in human trials.

 

Tea consumption in the world ranks second only to water consumption.

Approximately 20 percent of tea consumed is green; the rest is black tea.

 

Other authors on the paper are Nihal Ahmad, Denise K. Feyes, Anna-Liisa

Nieminen, and Rajesh Agarwal, all with the CWRU School of Medicine. This story

has

been adapted from a news release issued by Case Western Reserve University.

 

 

 

 

 

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