Healthy eating

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Scientists Find Way to 'Turn Off' Cancer

Researchers from Stanford University have discovered how to turn cancer

cells into harmless cells by simply switching off a single gene, reports

New Scientist.

In the study of mice infected with liver cancer, the researchers found

that the gene produces a protein called MYC (pronounced " mick " ) that

usually controls cell division. MYC has been implicated in several types

of cancer, including liver, breast, bowel, and prostate. Too much of this

protein can cause rapid cell division and that leads to tumors. The MYC

gene is responsible for one in seven cancer deaths, according to Cancer

Research UK.

The Stanford researchers bred mice in which the MYC gene was turned " on "

all the time so that too much MYC protein was produced. That caused liver

cancer in the rodents. But when the mice were given the common antibiotic

doxycycline, it turned the gene " off, " and the cancer cells reverted to

normal liver cells without being destroyed. " We were definitely surprised

that we could make liver cancer cells look like normal liver cells, " lead

study author Dean Felsher told New Scientist. " Cells differentiate into

more than one cell type and stay that way for months. " When the

antibiotic was stopped, the gene was turned back on so more MYC protein

was produced and the dormant cancer returned.

What does it mean for humans? Normal mice and humans do not have a

switch in any of their cells so this technique cannot be directly

transferred to human cancer patients. However, the study does offer

scientists a new way to fight cancer by targeting abnormally high levels

of MYC. There is still much to understand. " The next step is to target

the MYC protein, " Felsher told New Scientist, " and to validate that it

also works on humans. " Still, the research holds much promise for human

cancer drugs. The study findings were published in the journal Nature.

Eat this spice to protect your health

The curry spice turmeric could help prevent and possibly even cure

cancer.

Also found in yellow mustard, turmeric contains an ingredient called

curcumin that researchers from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer

Center in Houston say may help suppress and destroy the blood cancer

multiple myeloma. Curcumin is what gives mustard and turmeric their

yellow color.

In the laboratory, the researchers added curcumin to human cells infected

with multiple myeloma. The result: The curcumin stopped those cells from

replicating, and the cells that were left died, reports Reuters.

Even though the study did not actually test curcumin in cancer patients,

lead researcher Dr. Bharat B. Aggarwal is so impressed with these early

lab results that he recommends cancer patients eat food seasoned with

turmeric. And with good reason. Previous research has shown that curcumin

may fight other types of cancers besides multiple myeloma. It has also

been shown to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that can

heal wounds and possibly fight Alzheimer's disease and multiple

sclerosis. Best of all, curcumin has no known side effects in human

beings--even in large amounts. The study findings were published in the

journal Blood.

A study last year from Kumamoto University in Kumamoto, Japan, that was

published in the journal Cancer also found that curcumin prevented cancer

and stopped tumors from growing. Reuters reports that the Japanese

researchers determined that curcumin inhibited the production of

interleukin-8 (IL-8), a protein that attracts white blood cells to a

particular site and leads to inflammation. The compound also reduced the

activity of nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-kappaB), a molecule that helps

regulate the gene that produces IL-8.

What does that mean? Tumor cells secrete high levels of IL-8, which is a

protein that causes inflammation. The exact role IL-8 plays in cancer

growth is still unclear, but previous research shows it may stimulate

tumor cells to produce at the same time it suppresses the immune system.

But the compound in turmeric--curcumin--curbs IL-8. If the spice actually

does what the study findings suggest, then " curcumin is capable of

working as a potent agent that reduces tumor promotion, " the researchers

concluded.

In yet another study, researchers from the University of Rochester

Medical Center in Rochester, N.Y., found that curcumin helped protect the

skin of cancer patients who were undergoing radiation therapy. A common

and painful side effect of radiation is burns and blisters. Mice who were

given three doses of curcumin for five to seven days a week along with a

dose of radiation had minimal skin damage caused by the radiation. In

addition, curcumin was found to suppress the development of new cells in

tumors, which furthers the effectiveness of radiation therapy, reports

Health Newswire.

There's only one problem with what could be Mother Nature's miracle cure

for cancer, and you won't believe what it is: Greed. To learn more about

turmeric's cancer-fighting properties, including the proper dosage,

requires large medical experiments with a great number of patients. Such

ventures are costly and are typically financed by drug companies eyeing

future product development. However, in this case, the " drug " is a

natural compound. Aggarwal explained to Reuters that no drug company can

reap the financial benefits if turmeric proves to be an effective

anti-cancer drug so no drug company is likely to pay the big bucks needed

for the medical studies.

--Cathryn Conroy

An orange a day may keep cancer away.

 

A new study from the Australian government's key research group found

that eating citrus fruits can reduce the risk of mouth, larynx, and

stomach cancers by up to 50 percent, reports Reuters. And that's not all.

Eat one extra serving of citrus fruit a day--that's on top of the

recommended five daily servings of fruits and vegetables--and you could

reduce the risk of a stroke by almost 20 percent, as well as lower the

risk of cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and diabetes.

 

That's the word from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research

Organization (CSIRO) which reviewed 48 international studies on the

health benefits of citrus fruits and concluded they protect the body

through their antioxidant properties, as well as by strengthening the

immune system. They also inhibit tumor growth and normalize tumor cells.

 

While all yellow and orange fruits and vegetables are known for their

high antioxidant level, CSIRO researcher Katrine Baghurst told Reuters

that oranges have the highest level of antioxidants with more than 170

different phytochemicals, including more than 60 flavonoids shown to have

anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, and blood clot inhibiting properties.

 

What is an antioxidant? It's a classification for several types of

organic substances, including vitamins C and E, and vitamin A (which is

converted from beta-carotene), as well as the mineral selenium. It's

thought that antioxidants work their magic by slowing or even preventing

the development of arterial blockages and may deter the collection of

plaque on arterial walls.

 

Best of all, eating an orange every day is a delicious way to keep cancer

at bay.

 

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The Equinox is here again, marking a brief time of balance in this

experience we call life. We feel the passage of time with the colors

of fall, spring for our friends to the south. We feel an intuitive need

to

pause and to reflect on where we are in our life's journey. RossCannon