Plants offer clue in cancer war

Scientists have new insight into how a natural anti-fungal agent in grapes and other crops can help to prevent cancer.

Researchers from the School of Pharmacy at De Montfort University, in Leicester, report in the British Journal of Cancer that resveratrol is converted in the body to a known anti-cancer agent which can selectively target and destroy cancer cells.

Although previous studies have suggested that plant-oestrogen may prevent cancer, it is said to be the first time that scientists have gained an insight into the underlying mechanism of the chemical's anti-cancer properties.

Team leader Professor Gerry Potter said: "Resveratrol is a defensive molecule against fungus in grapes and other crops, and is found at higher levels in those which have not been treated with manmade fungicides.

"Learning from nature in this way will help in our work to design drugs which are selectively activated in a tumour and can form the basis of anti-cancer treatments."

The researchers found that resveratrol is processed by the enzyme CYP1B1, which is found in a variety of different tumours. This converts resveratrol into piceatannol, a closely related plant-oestrogen with known anti-cancer activity.

Previous research by the team has shown that this process is restricted to the tumour itself, limiting the toxicity to the cancer cells and serving to destroy them selectively.

Scientists previously believed that CYP1B1 was a cause of cancer, because it is found only in tumours and not in healthy tissue.

They now think the enzyme is there to fight it and the team is researching ways to help it in its work.

Professor Potter said: "The belief that CYP1B1 is a cause of cancer is like blaming police for a crime just because they are on the scene.

"We suspected this natural product might be beneficial for health and have cancer preventative properties. This research shows just how it could prevent tumours developing by producing these anti-cancer molecules within the cancer cells themselves."

The team is also looking into the beneficial effects of vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage that contain a molecule that activates the CYP1B1 enzyme.

- REUTERS

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