10-16-2005, 03:35 AM
Pioneer
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Turmeric douses chemo agent's killer effect </b>
Meenakshi Rao/ New Delhi
Turmeric is all set to rest its case as the ultimate healer and protector, not just in Ayurveda but in modern medicine too. If all goes well, within some years, turmeric will be used aggressively to prevent spread of breast cancer to the lungs of women on chemotherapy. Â
According to a top level study by researchers at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Centre, curcumin, the main ingredient of turmeric and the compound that gives curry its mustard-yellow colour, inhibited metastasis to the lungs of 60 mice with breast cancer.
The study funded by the US Department of Defence, reports that the spice shuts down a protein active in the spread of breast cancer to the lungs. The nontoxic natural substance also reverses the effect of paclitaxel (Taxol ) which triggers the spread of cancer. Taxol is the frontline chemotherapy agent for breast cancer.
Because Taxol is so toxic, it produces the inflammatory response triggering metastasis and curcumin suppresses it by causing cell death.Researchers, who experimented on 60 mice with breast cancer, found that adding curcumin to Taxol enhances its effect. Curcumin breaks down the dose, making the therapy less toxic and just as powerful while delivering the same level of efficacy. "We are excited about the study results and the possible implications for taking the findings into the clinic," says Bharat Aggarwal, PhD, professor of cancer medicine in Anderson's Department of Experimental Therapeutics.
"As of now, advanced breast cancer is a difficult foe to fight with few proven treatments available after surgery, chemotherapy and radiation," he says.
Curcumin is prescribed in Indian medicine as a potent remedy for liver disorders, rheumatism, diabetic wounds, runny nose, cough and sinusitis. Traditional Chinese medicine uses curcumin as a treatment for diseases associated with abdominal pain. Ancient Hindu medicine used is a sprain and dislocation pain-killer. Curcumin belongs to the ginger family.
<b>Haldi fight</b>
60 mice with breast cancer put in 4 groups. After tumours grew to 10 mm (size of a pea), they were surgically removed and mice fed curcumin diet.
Control group: Macroscopic lung metastasis was seen in 96 per cent mice.
Taxol only: Treatment only modestly reduced the incidence of metastasis
Curcumin only and Taxol plus curcumin: Significantly reduced both the incidence and numbers of visible lung metastases.
Microscopic metastasis was found in the lungs of 28% mice treated with curcumin-Taxol combo and there was no macroscopic disease present. The micrometastasis present consisted of only a few cells, suggesting that the combination inhibited the growth of breast cancer tumour cells that were in the lung before the tumours were removed.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Turmeric douses chemo agent's killer effect </b>
Meenakshi Rao/ New Delhi
Turmeric is all set to rest its case as the ultimate healer and protector, not just in Ayurveda but in modern medicine too. If all goes well, within some years, turmeric will be used aggressively to prevent spread of breast cancer to the lungs of women on chemotherapy. Â
According to a top level study by researchers at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Centre, curcumin, the main ingredient of turmeric and the compound that gives curry its mustard-yellow colour, inhibited metastasis to the lungs of 60 mice with breast cancer.
The study funded by the US Department of Defence, reports that the spice shuts down a protein active in the spread of breast cancer to the lungs. The nontoxic natural substance also reverses the effect of paclitaxel (Taxol ) which triggers the spread of cancer. Taxol is the frontline chemotherapy agent for breast cancer.
Because Taxol is so toxic, it produces the inflammatory response triggering metastasis and curcumin suppresses it by causing cell death.Researchers, who experimented on 60 mice with breast cancer, found that adding curcumin to Taxol enhances its effect. Curcumin breaks down the dose, making the therapy less toxic and just as powerful while delivering the same level of efficacy. "We are excited about the study results and the possible implications for taking the findings into the clinic," says Bharat Aggarwal, PhD, professor of cancer medicine in Anderson's Department of Experimental Therapeutics.
"As of now, advanced breast cancer is a difficult foe to fight with few proven treatments available after surgery, chemotherapy and radiation," he says.
Curcumin is prescribed in Indian medicine as a potent remedy for liver disorders, rheumatism, diabetic wounds, runny nose, cough and sinusitis. Traditional Chinese medicine uses curcumin as a treatment for diseases associated with abdominal pain. Ancient Hindu medicine used is a sprain and dislocation pain-killer. Curcumin belongs to the ginger family.
<b>Haldi fight</b>
60 mice with breast cancer put in 4 groups. After tumours grew to 10 mm (size of a pea), they were surgically removed and mice fed curcumin diet.
Control group: Macroscopic lung metastasis was seen in 96 per cent mice.
Taxol only: Treatment only modestly reduced the incidence of metastasis
Curcumin only and Taxol plus curcumin: Significantly reduced both the incidence and numbers of visible lung metastases.
Microscopic metastasis was found in the lungs of 28% mice treated with curcumin-Taxol combo and there was no macroscopic disease present. The micrometastasis present consisted of only a few cells, suggesting that the combination inhibited the growth of breast cancer tumour cells that were in the lung before the tumours were removed.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->