据国外媒体5日报道,美国科学家称,由于西兰花含有的一种化合物可以锁定肿瘤干细胞,这种蔬菜或掌握着预防甚至治疗乳腺癌的“钥匙”。
西兰花堪称蔬菜类中的“超级食品”,含有很高的萝卜硫素,这种化合物能消灭肿瘤干细胞,阻止病情进一步恶化。美国密歇根大学综合肿瘤治疗中心科学家在实验室对老鼠和培养细胞的相关测试取得了成功。
领导实施这项研究的孙杜欣(音译)教授说:“研究人员以前就一直在研究萝卜硫素对癌症的影响,而最新研究表明其益处在于抑制乳腺癌‘肿瘤干细胞’的生长。这种新证据表明,萝卜硫素或西兰花萃取液通过锁定肿瘤干细胞,从而具有预防或治疗癌症的潜力。”研究结果刊登在最新一期的《临床癌症研究》杂志上。
研究人员表示,当前的化学疗法对肿瘤干细胞并不奏效,这也是乳腺癌总爱复发和扩散的原因。他们认为,消除肿瘤干细胞是控制肿瘤生长的关键。在最新研究中,研究人员给患有乳腺癌的老鼠体内注射了从西兰花萃取液中提取的不同浓度的萝卜硫素。
由于西兰花吃起来口感不佳,许多人并不喜欢,包括美国前总统乔治- W-布什。但这种蔬菜的健康功效已经得到普遍承认,多项研究显示,西兰花含有的一种化合物可增强细胞中DNA的修复能力。还有证据表明这种化合物能令动脉保持健康,或能修复糖尿病对心脏血管造成的损伤。此外,西兰花富含维生素C和纤维质,而一棵西兰花所含的维生素K量几乎是医生建议成年人每日摄入维生素K 量的两倍。(生物谷Bioon.com)
生物谷推荐原文出处:
Clinical Cancer Research, doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-09-2937
Sulforaphane, a Dietary Component of Broccoli/Broccoli Sprouts, Inhibits Breast Cancer Stem Cells
Yanyan Li1,3, Tao Zhang1, Hasan Korkaya2, Suling Liu2, Hsiu-Fang Lee1, Bryan Newman1, Yanke Yu1, Shawn G. Clouthier2, Steven J. Schwartz3, Max S. Wicha2, and Duxin Sun1
Corresponding Authors:
Duxin Sun, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Michigan, 428 Church Street, Room 2020, Ann Arbor, MI 48109. Phone: 734-615-8740; Fax: 734-615-6162; E-mail: duxins@umich.edu, Max S. Wicha, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Room 6302, Ann Arbor, MI 48109. Phone: 734-936-1831; Fax: 734-615-3947; E-mail: mwicha@umich.edu, and Steven J. Schwartz, Department of Food Science and Technology, The Ohio State University, 2015 Fyffe Ct., 235 Parker Food Science & Technology Building, Columbus, OH 43210. Phone: 614-292-2934;
Purpose: The existence of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in breast cancer has profound implications for cancer prevention. In this study, we evaluated sulforaphane, a natural compound derived from broccoli/broccoli sprouts, for its efficacy to inhibit breast CSCs and its potential mechanism.
Experimental Design: Aldefluor assay and mammosphere formation assay were used to evaluate the effect of sulforaphane on breast CSCs in vitro. A nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient xenograft model was used to determine whether sulforaphane could target breast CSCs in vivo, as assessed by Aldefluor assay, and tumor growth upon cell reimplantation in secondary mice. The potential mechanism was investigated using Western blotting analysis and β-catenin reporter assay.
Results: Sulforaphane (1-5 μmol/L) decreased aldehyde dehydrogenase–positive cell population by 65% to 80% in human breast cancer cells (P < 0.01) and reduced the size and number of primary mammospheres by 8- to 125-fold and 45% to 75% (P < 0.01), respectively. Daily injection with 50 mg/kg sulforaphane for 2 weeks reduced aldehyde dehydrogenase–positive cells by >50% in nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient xenograft tumors (P = 0.003). Sulforaphane eliminated breast CSCs in vivo, thereby abrogating tumor growth after the reimplantation of primary tumor cells into the secondary mice (P < 0.01). Western blotting analysis and β-catenin reporter assay showed that sulforaphane downregulated the Wnt/β-catenin self-renewal pathway