Cancer killing compound spares healthy cells
Lithocholic acid (LCA), naturally produced in the liver during digestion, has been seriously underestimated. A study published in the journal Oncotarget shows that LCA can kill several types of cancer cells, such as those found in some brain tumours and breast cancer.
The research team, led by Concordia University, included scientists from McGill University and the Jewish General Hospital's Lady Davis Institute in Montreal as well as the University of Saskatchewan.
Previous research from this same team showed LCA also extends the lifespan of aging yeast. This time, the team found LCA to be very selective in killing cancer cells while leaving normal cells unscathed. This could signal a huge improvement over the baby-with-the-bathwater drugs used in chemotherapy.
Read the whole article at ecancer.org
Reference
- Goldberg, A. A., Beach, A., et al. (2011). Lithocholic bile acid selectively kills neuroblastoma cells, while sparing normal neuronal cells Oncotarget 2 (10): 761–82. PMID 21992775
Keywords: lithocholic acid, cancer cells, tumour growth
5. 1. 2012 ecancer.org
