Vegetable-derived compound effective in treating triple-negative breast cancer, research suggests

ScienceDaily (Oct. 17, 2012) — A new compound created from a rich source in vegetables including broccoli and brussel sprouts has been developed to combat triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). This research is being presented at the 2012 American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) Annual Meeting and Exposition, the world's largest pharmaceutical sciences meeting, in Chicago, Ill., on Oct. 14 -- 18, during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

TNBC accounts for approximately 15-20 percent of all breast cancer cases in the U.S. It is one of the most aggressive forms of breast cancer; it grows faster, spreads to other parts of the body earlier, is harder to detect on a mammogram and recurs more often.

Mandip Sachdeva, Ph.D. and Chandraiah Godugu, P.h.D. from Florida A&M University, in collaboration with Stephen Safe, Ph.D., from Texas A&M University, have evaluated the activity of novel C-substituted diindolylmethane (C-DIM) derivatives and demonstrated that they have superior anticancer activities. Sachdeva's study reveals that these synthetic compounds derived from diindolylmethane (DIM), commonly found in various types of cruciferous vegetables, can be used to treat several types of cancer, including triple-negative breast cancer. C-DIMs are also being investigated for their cancer prevention activity.

"Targeted treatment options for TNBC are limited; current treatments, such as infusions, result in poor patient compliance and increased toxicity," said Sachdeva. "We are confident that the compounds we are currently working with are an effective treatment for triple-negative breast cancer. These compounds are safer for the patient than current treatments available."

In contrast to existing anticancer drugs, the diindolylmethane compounds are orally active, so they could be available to patients in pill form and safe to take daily. When taken in combination with existing anticancer drugs, the diindolylmethane compounds can effectively decrease the number of treatments a patient receives.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Protein folding via charge zippers

Jan. 18, 2013 — Membrane proteins are the "molecular machines" in biological cell envelopes. They control diverse processes, such as the transport of molecules across the lipid membrane, signal transduction, and photosynthesis. Their shape, i.e. folding of the molecules, plays a decisive role in the formation of, e.g., pores in the cell membrane. In the journal Cell, researchers of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and the University of Cagliari are now reporting a novel charge zipper principle used by proteins to form functional units. "It is fascinating to see the elegant basic principles that are used by nature to construct molecular assemblies," explains Anne Ulrich, Director of the KIT Institute for Biological Interfaces. "A charge zipper between the charged side chains is an entirely unexpected mechanism used by membrane proteins to neutralize their charges such that they can be immersed into hydrophobic cell membranes....
Read more

Lonza: CMC Product Manager

Due to the expansion of Lonza's Analytical Services department we are looking to recruit an Analytical Product Manager. Reporting to the Group Leader you will proactively coordinate internal and external client project activities (analytical CMC development of recombinant proteins) performed within Analytical Services and to provide scientific oversight of data generated for the projects. Responsibilities:      * Primary point of contact for all analytical activities relating to product development and management of analytical development programmes from early phase development through to license application.      * Primary interface to the Program Management Team, AS study directors and internal and external customers.      * Definition, presentation and representation of analytical CMC programmes to customers, potential new customers & external meetings, including oversight of large analytical portfolio projects.      * Design an...
Read more

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK): Esprit Physician Leadership Development Programme

Esprit Physician Leadership Development Programme Are you an MBBS or MD with experience gained in a pharmaceutical, biotech or academic environment eager to become an outstanding leader? An inquisitive mind who would thrive on a diverse, intellectually demanding global leadership programme? Do you want to translate your medical expertise into disease-beating medicines? And help people across the world to do more, feel better and live longer? We are a science-led, global healthcare company that puts patients first. Our business is focused on developing medicines that improve the quality of human life. To meet the future strategic challenges this entails, we need to fast-track the finest medical talent into senior leadership roles within our business. The Esprit Physician programme is an initial three-year, accelerated, multi-disciplinary and individually tailored programme. It is heavily backed by our senior management team, and it will give you incredible standing as a phys...
Read more