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Broccoli
component limits Breast Cancer Stem Cells
Research in mice, cells suggests possible
prevention, treatment strategy
Newswise, May 2010 — A compound derived from
broccoli could help prevent or treat breast
cancer by targeting cancer stem cells -- the
small number of cells that fuel a tumor’s
growth -- according to a new study from
researchers at the University of Michigan
Comprehensive Cancer Center.
The study tested sulforaphane, a component
of broccoli and broccoli sprouts, in both
mice and cell cultures. Researchers found
sulforaphane targeted and killed the cancer
stem cells and prevented new tumors from
growing.
“Sulforaphane has been studied previously
for its effects on cancer, but this study
shows that its benefit is in inhibiting the
breast cancer stem cells.
"This
new insight suggests the potential of
sulforaphane or broccoli extract to prevent
or treat cancer by targeting the critical
cancer stem cells,” says study author Duxin
Sun, Ph.D., associate professor of
pharmaceutical sciences at the U-M College
of Pharmacy and a researcher with the U-M
Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Results of the study appear in the May 1
issue of Clinical Cancer Research.
Current chemotherapies do not work against
cancer stem cells, which is why cancer
recurs and spreads. Researchers believe that
eliminating the cancer stem cells is key to
controlling cancer.
In the current study, researchers took mice
with breast cancer and injected varying
concentrations of sulforaphane from the
broccoli extract. Researchers then used
several established methods to assess the
number of cancer stem cells in the tumors.
These measures showed a marked decrease in
the cancer stem cell population after
treatment with sulforaphane, with little
effect on the normal cells.
Further, cancer cells from mice treated with
sulforaphane were unable to generate new
tumors. The researchers then tested
sulforaphane on human breast cancer cell
cultures in the lab, finding similar
decreases in the cancer stem cells.
“This research suggests a potential new
treatment that could be combined with other
compounds to target breast cancer stem
cells.
Developing treatments that effectively
target the cancer stem cell population is
essential for improving outcomes,” says
study author Max S. Wicha, M.D.,
Distinguished Professor of Oncology and
director of the U-M Comprehensive Cancer
Center.
The concentrations of sulforaphane used in
the study were higher than what can be
achieved by eating broccoli or broccoli
sprouts.
Prior research suggests the concentrations
needed to impact cancer can be absorbed by
the body from the broccoli extract, but side
effects are not known.
While the extract is available in capsule
form as a supplement, concentrations are
unregulated and will vary.
This work has not been tested in patients,
and patients are not encouraged to add
sulforaphane supplements to their diet at
this time.
Researchers are currently developing a
method to extract and preserve sulforaphane
and will be developing a clinical trial to
test sulforaphane as a prevention and
treatment for breast cancer. No clinical
trial is currently available.
Breast cancer statistics: 194,280 Americans
will be diagnosed with breast cancer this
year and 40,610 will die from the disease,
according to the American Cancer Society
Additional authors: Yanyan Li, Tao Zhang,
Hasan Korkaya, Suling Liu, Hsiu-Fang Lee,
Bryan Newman, Yanke Yu, Shawn G. Clouthier
and Steven J. Schwartz
Funding: National Institutes of Health,
National Cancer Institute
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