The naturally occurring compound m.in. in broccoli inhibits cancer growth
The compound, which can be found in broccoli, cauliflower and other brassica vegetables, has strong anti-cancer effects. New research shows it can be used for novel therapies to treat and prevent cancer.
The flood of information on the productoin food products that inhibit or cause cancer often makes it difficult to make informed choicesoin nutritional. However, when it comes to brassica vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale and kohlrabi, they have long been linked to beneficial anti-cancer properties. Added to this is new research, whichore point to a particular compound present in brassica vegetables, whichory may have the potential to zaroIn both the prevention and treatment of someorych typeoin cancerow.
The vegetables in question contain the compound I3C (indole-3-carbinol), whichory inactivates a gene, o ktorym is known to play a major role in the development of comocancer rec. Researchers led by Dr. Pier Pandolfi, director of the Cancer Center and Cancer Research Institute at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, have found that targeting this gene known as WWP1 with the compound I3C present in brassica vegetables inhibits tumor growth in laboratory animals, ktore have been genetically modified to be susceptible to cancer.
The results of the research team’s work were published in the journal „Science”.
– We have found an important new player, ktory directs a pathway crucial to the development of canceroThe result of this research is expected to be tiles, an enzyme thatory can be inhibited by a natural compound found in broccoli and other brassica vegetables. This pathway is not only a regulator of tumor growth control, but also as an Achilles heel, ktorą we can target therapeutic options – said Pandolfi.
Many cancerow shows low levels of proteins called tumor suppressorsow or completely deactivates them. These tumor suppressorsow do exactly what their name suggests. Once activated, they stop or reduce the possibility of cancer developmentow. Their deactivation makes the comorki become more susceptible to canceror.
One of the most important suppressoroin cancerow is a protein called PTEN, whichore is encoded by the gene of the same name. It is a well-known and powerful gene thatory is one of the most frequently mutated, deleted and silenced genesoin tumor suppressors during the development of cancerow. But because complete gene loss triggers an irreversible and powerful failure mechanism, whichory stops the rapid development ofoj comocancer rec, both copies of the gene (humans have two copies of each gene, one from each parentow) are rarely removed by tumors.
Pandolfi with coocolleagues wanted to find out whether in ogole there is a possibility of the adherence ofoThe researchers found that I3C was able to increase the protective function of PTEN when tumorigenicor is already present in the body. They found another protein called WWP1, whichore stops PTEN from functioning properly. Since then, they have been looking for a compound thatory mowould stop the action of WWP1, which is the production of an enzyme that inhibits PTEN activity. In this wayob they came across I3C.
Syndromeoł scientistsow tested the effects of I3C by administering it to laboratory mice prone to cancerow. Researchers have discovered that a naturally occurring component of broccoliow deactivated the function of WWP1 and reactivated the function of PTEN.
I3C has so far only been tested in mice. However, the researchers are excited about the potential of their findings and hope that their research may eventually serve to determine how to re-engage PTEN in the comocancerous tumors.
However, Yu-Ru Lee, et alohe research cools the enthusiasm of his colleagues somewhatow. To get roThe novelty of I3C, whichoThe study was administered to mice, you need to consume about 2.5 kilograms of raw broccolioin a day, which would likely have unpleasant digestive consequences. Therefore, researchers are now looking for less drastic solutions and have some ideas, including synthesizing I3C or a similar molecule in the lab or using other methods to deactivate WWP1.
– Genetic or pharmacological inactivation of WWP1 using CRISPR or I3C technology can restore theohe function of PTEN and even increase the inhibitory effect of developingoj tumor. The findings pave the way for a long sought-after approach to treating cancerow by reactivating the suppressoroin tumorow – emphasized Pandolfi.
