Whoa. Curry fights cancer!

[unixronin]

A study conducted by Nottingham University in the UK has found that a family of molecules called vanilloids, which includes capsaicin (the active ingredient in hot peppers), have a very highly specific ability to selectively kill cancer cells by disrputing their mitochondria.

The study showed that the family of molecules to which capsaicin belongs, the vanilloids, bind to proteins in the cancer cell mitochondria to trigger apoptosis, or cell death, without harming surrounding healthy cells.

Capsaicin was tested on cultures of human lung cancer cells and on pancreatic cancers.

Lead researcher Dr Timothy Bates said: "As these compounds attack the very heart of the tumour cells, we believe that we have in effect discovered a fundamental 'Achilles heel' for all cancers.

"The biochemistry of the mitochondria in cancer cells is very different from that in normal cells.

"This is an innate selective vulnerability of cancer cells."

Unlike any currently existing treatment except the the latest experimental treatments using recombinant-DNA targeted antibodies, the vanilloids selectively attack only cancer cells, without harming adjacent healthy cells.  (Unfortunately, there is as yet no evidence that merely eating spicy food conveys a protection against cancer; the capsaicin has to enter the bloodstream.)

Comments

[janetmiles.livejournal.com]

Whoa. This must be related to the research using capsaicin to treat (possibly cure?) diabetes.

Dr. Rob from alt.c reviewed the article and said it sounds plausible; since I trust him, I trust the research. Granted, it has a long way to go before they can try it in humans.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Have you seen the latest discovery about diabetes? It appears everyone's been wrong about it all along -- it's not an autoimmune disorder at all, it's a neurological malfunction. Treat the nerve malfunction, and the diabetes goes away.

[jilara.livejournal.com]

So all that topical capsaicin I get on my hands from cutting up hot peppers without gloves is actually helping fight cancer? Assuming it's penetrating more than the skin, that is...

BTW, I remember there were some Russian studies that showed some mushrooms (mostly pore mushrooms) had cancer-fighting properties. Haven't heard anything more about that in the past 20 years, though.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

So all that topical capsaicin I get on my hands from cutting up hot peppers without gloves is actually helping fight cancer? Assuming it's penetrating more than the skin, that is...

It's a definite possibility.