Guest guest Posted January 2, 2004 Report Share Posted January 2, 2004 This was posted on a goat list I belong to and since the topic was mentioned earlier I thought you would all find this interesting... Of course, the scientists are just finding out what we herbalists already knew.... Arutz Sheva News Service<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>Friday, Jan. 2, 2004 / Tevet 8, 5764---------------Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday--- See below for subscription instructions ---*******************************************************6. USING GARLIC TO FIGHT CANCERScientists from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot have developed anew method to selectively kill cancer cells, leaving healthy ones intact. Thesecret weapon? A chemical occurring naturally in garlic.The scientists of Weizmann's Biological Chemistry Department - Drs. AharonRabinkov, Talia Miron and Marina Mironchick, working with Profs. David Mirelmanand Meir Wilchek - have successfully destroyed malignant tumors in mice usingtheir new method. The key to their success lies in the development of a uniquesystem for delivering a cancer-wrecking chemical - allicin - straight to thetumor cells.Allicin is the substance that gives garlic its distinctive aroma and flavor.Scientists studying allicin have known for many years that it is as toxic as itis pungent. It has been shown to kill not only cancer cells, but also the cellsof disease-causing microbes, and even healthy human body cells. On the otherhand, allicin is highly unstable, and breaks down quickly once ingested. Itsinstability and undiscriminating toxicity presented twin hurdles to the creationof an allicin-based therapy.The Weizmann scientists solved both these problems by designing an ingenious andpinpoint delivery method. Their findings were reported in the December issue ofMolecular Cancer Therapeutics.While the team has succeeded so far only in blocking the growth of gastrictumors in mice, the scientists note that the method could work for most types ofcancer. The technique could prove invaluable for preventing metastasis followingsurgery. "Even though doctors cannot detect where metastatic cells have migratedand lodged themselves," says Professor Mirelman, the new Weizmann Institutesystem would allow the toxic allicin to "chase them down and destroy themanywhere in the body."English News Editor: Hillel Fendel Find out what made the Top Searches of 2003 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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