Hebbie Posted November 1, 2005 Share Posted November 1, 2005 Compound in beans, nuts may help fight cancer Substance could be used to develop new treatments, scientists say Reuters / Updated: 7:17 p.m. ET Sept. 14, 2005 LONDON - Eating a diet rich in beans, nuts and cereals could help to prevent cancer because the foods contain a natural compound that inhibits the growth of tumors. Scientists at University College London (UCL) said on Thursday that the substance called inositol pentakisphosphate, which is also found in lentils and peas, could also help researchers develop new therapies against the disease. “Our study suggests the importance of a diet enriched in foods such as beans, nuts and cereals which could help prevent cancer,” said Dr Marco Falasca, of UCL’s Sackler Institute, who reported the finding in the journal Cancer Research. He and his team discovered that the compound inhibits an enzyme called phosphoinositde 3-kinase which promotes tumor growth. Scientists have been trying to develop drugs to inhibit the cancer-promoting enzyme but have had difficulty so far. When the researchers tested inositol pentakisphosphate in mice and cancer cells in the laboratory, it killed the animal tumors and enhanced the effect of drugs used against ovarian and lung cancer cells. “Our work will now focus on establishing whether the phosphate inhibitor can be developed into an anti-cancer agent for human therapy,” Falasca said in a statement. The researchers believe the compound, which was non-toxic even at high concentrations, could also be used to increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs. Copyright 2005 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. © 2005 MSNBC.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jyoung20 Posted November 1, 2005 Share Posted November 1, 2005 WOW! That's great news. Thanks! GOD BLESS!! Jamie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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