Anti-cancer compound found in beans, nuts, cereals

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Anti-cancer compound found in beans, nuts, cereals 2

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http://news./s/nm/20050914/hl_nm/cancer_food_dc

 

 

 

LONDON (Reuters) - 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 tumour 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.