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Breast cancer effectively treated with chemical found in celery, parsley
Jul 3, 2012
This research is right in the Mizzou Advantage wheelhouse, as it features a cross-disciplinary approach to fighting disease.
From MU News Bureau
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Apigenin, a natural substance found in grocery store produce aisles, shows promise as a non-toxic treatment for an aggressive form of human breast cancer, following a new study at the University of Missouri. MU researchers found apigenin shrank a type of breast cancer tumor that is stimulated by progestin, a synthetic hormone given to women to ease symptoms related to menopause.
“This is the first study to show that apigenin, which can be extracted from celery, parsley and many other natural sources, is effective against human breast cancer cells that had been influenced by a certain chemical used in hormone replacement therapy,” said co-author Salman Hyder, the Zalk Endowed Professor in Tumor Angiogenesis and professor of biomedical sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine and the Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center.
In the study, Hyder and his colleagues implanted cells of a deadly, fast-growing human breast cancer, known as BT-474, into a specialized breed of mouse. Some of the mice were then treated with medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), a type of progestin commonly given to post-menopausal women. A control group did not receive MPA. More…