Watercress May ‘Turn Off’ Breast Cancer Signal
New scientific
research from the University of Southampton has revealed that a plant compound
in watercress may have the ability to suppress breast cancer cell development
by ‘turning off’ a signal in the body and thereby starving the growing tumour
of essential blood and oxygen.
The research, unveiled at a press conference Sept.
14, 2010, shows that the watercress compound is able to interfere with the
function of a protein which plays a critical role in cancer development.
As tumours develop they rapidly outgrow their
existing blood supply so they send out signals which make surrounding normal
tissues grow new blood vessels into the tumour which feed them oxygen and
nutrients.
The research, led by Professor Graham Packham of
the University of Southampton, shows that the plant compound (called
phenylethyl isothiocyanate) found in watercress can block this process, by
interfering with and ‘turning off’ in the function of a protein called Hypoxia
Inducible Factor (HIF).
Professor Packham, a molecular oncologist at the
University of Southampton, comments: “The research takes an important step
towards understanding the potential health benefits of this crop since it shows
that eating watercress may interfere with a pathway that has already been
tightly linked to cancer development.
“Knowing the risk factors for cancer is a key goal
and studies on diet are an important part of this. However, relatively little
work is being performed in the UK on the links between the foods we eat and
cancer development.”
Working with Barbara Parry, Senior Research
Dietician at the Winchester and Andover Breast Unit, Professor Packham
performed a pilot study in which a small group of breast cancer survivors,
underwent a period of fasting before eating 80g of watercress (a cereal bowl
full) and then providing a series of blood samples over the next 24 hours.
The research team was able to detect significant
levels of the plant compound PEITC in the blood of the participants following
the watercress meal, and most importantly, could show that the function of the
protein HIF was also measurably affected in the blood cells of the women.
The two studies, which have been published in the
British Journal of Nutrition and Biochemical Pharmacology, provide new insight
into the potential anti-cancer effects of watercress, although more work still
needs to be done to determine the direct impact watercress has on decreasing
cancer risk.
Watercress Alliance member Dr Steve Rothwell says:
“We are very excited by the outcome of Professor Packham’s work, which builds
on the body of research which supports the idea that watercress may have an
important role to play in limiting cancer development.”
A summary of the research has been accepted for
inclusion in the Breast Cancer Research Conference which is taking place in
Nottingham from 15 to 17 September.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in
the western world and currently affects approximately 1 in 9 women during their
lifetime.
No comments:
Post a Comment