Kruiden tegen groei kankercellen bij borstkanker.*
Uit
een laboratoriumstudie lijkt het dat het kruid zilverkaars
(black cohosh) de groei van borstkankercellen kan tegengaan. De bioactieve stof
triterpeen glycosiden in zilverkaars blijkt de structuur van de kankercellen te
kunnen veranderen waardoor ze zelfmoord plegen. Vooral de niet hormoon
gevoelige kankercellen blijken gevoelig te zijn voor de bioactieve stoffen in
zilverkaars. Meer onderzoek is nu wenselijk.
Black cohosh may slow breast cancer growth
An herbal remedy popular for menopausal symptoms may inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells, preliminary research suggests.
In experiments with human breast cancer cells, scientists found that the herb, called black cohosh, appeared to trigger a "stress response" in the cells, causing them to commit suicide.
The findings, published in the journal Phytomedicine, suggest that the herb stands as a potential treatment for breast cancer. However, much more study is needed before that becomes a reality, the researchers say.
Black cohosh is a plant native to North America that has become widely used as an alternative therapy for hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause -- though studies are conflicting as to whether the herb is effective.
For the current study, researchers led by Dr. Linda Saxe Einbond of Columbia University in New York tested the effects of black cohosh on samples of human breast cancer cells.
The researchers found that compounds called triterpene glycosides, the main active component of black cohosh, appeared to change the structure of the cancer cells and push them toward committing suicide -- a process known as programmed cell death.
Breast cancer cells that carried a protein called HER2 and had no receptors for the hormones estrogen and progesterone were most sensitive to treatment with black cohosh. Such tumors account for a minority of breast cancer cases.
The findings, according to Einbond's team, suggest that black cohosh with enriched amounts of triterpene glycosides might aid in breast cancer treatment or prevention.
However, given that the findings are preliminary, the researchers stress that women with breast cancer, and those worried about their breast cancer risk, should talk with their doctors before trying black cohosh.
Naturex Inc., maker of the black cohosh product CimiPure, supplied the supplements used in the study, and two of Einbond's collaborators on the work are employees of the
company.
SOURCE: Phytomedicine (Januari
2008)
Reacties:
