UF Researchers Find Cancer-fighting Properties in Papaya Tea

The humble papaya is gaining credibility in Western medicine for anticancer powers that folk cultures have recognized for generations.

papaya tea

University of Florida researcher Nam Dang, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues in Japan have documented papaya’s dramatic anticancer effect against a broad range of lab-grown tumors, including cancers of the cervix, breast, liver, lung and pancreas. The researchers used an extract made from dried papaya leaves, and the anticancer effects were stronger when cells received larger doses of the tea.

In a paper published in the Feb. 17 issue of the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Dang and his colleagues also documented for the first time that papaya leaf extract boosts the production of key signaling molecules called Th1-type cytokines. This regulation of the immune system, in addition to papaya’s direct antitumor effect on various cancers, suggests possible therapeutic strategies that use the immune system to fight cancers.

The papaya extract did not have any toxic effects on normal cells, avoiding a common and devastating consequence of many cancer therapy regimens. The success of the papaya extract in acting on cancer without toxicity is consistent with reports from indigenous populations in Australia and his native Vietnam, said Dang, a professor of medicine and medical director of the UF Shands Cancer Center Clinical Trials Office.

“Based on what I have seen and heard in a clinical setting, nobody who takes this extract experiences demonstrable toxicity; it seems like you could take it for a long time — as long as it is effective,” he said.

Researchers exposed 10 different types of cancer cell cultures to four strengths of papaya leaf extract and measured the effect after 24 hours. Papaya slowed the growth of tumors in all the cultures.

To identify the mechanism by which papaya checked the growth of the cultures, the team focused on a cell line for T lymphoma. Their results suggested that at least one of the mechanisms employed by the papaya extract is inducing cell death.

In a similar analysis, the team also looked at the effect of papaya extract on the production of antitumor molecules known as cytokines. Papaya was shown to promote the production of Th1-type cytokines, important in the regulation of the immune system. For that reason, the study findings raise the possibility of future use of papaya extract components in immune-related conditions such as inflammation, autoimmune disease and some cancers.

Bharat B. Aggarwal, Ph.D., a researcher at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, already is so convinced of papaya’s restorative powers that he has a serving of the fruit every day.

“We have always known that papaya has a lot of interesting things in there,” said Aggarwal, a professor in the center’s department of experimental therapeutics who was not involved in the UF research. Foremost among papaya’s health-promoting agents is papain, papaya’s signature enzyme, which is found in both the fruit and the leaves.

“This paper has not gone too much into identifying the components responsible for the activity, which is just fine. I think that is a good beginning,” Aggarwal said.

Aggarwal also noted that papaya extract’s success in reducing cancer in laboratory cell cultures must next be replicated in animal and human studies.

“I hope Dr. Dang takes it further, because I think we need enthusiastic people like him to move it forward,” Aggarwal said.

Dang and a colleague have applied to patent the process to distill the papaya extract through the University of Tokyo; the next step in the research is to identify the specific compounds in the papaya extract active against the cancer cell lines. For this stage, Dang has partnered with Hendrick Luesch, Ph.D., a fellow UF Shands Cancer Center member and a professor of medicinal chemistry. Luesch is an expert in the identification and synthesis of natural products for medicinal purposes, and recently discovered a coral reef compound that inhibits cancer cell growth in cell lines.

from their “our mission” page
The mission of The Breast Cancer Research Foundation is to achieve prevention and a cure for breast cancer in our lifetime by providing critical funding for innovative clinical and translational research at leading medical centers worldwide, and increasing public awareness about good breast health. A minimum of 85 cents of every dollar goes to research and awareness programs. (source /bcrfcure.org)

From the Page: About the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF)

NBCF is committed to spreading knowledge and fostering hope in the fight against breast cancer. By funding free mammograms for women who could otherwise not afford them and supporting research programs in leading facilities across the country, NBCF helps inspire the courage needed to win this monumental battle. Be a part of the solution and discover how to help. (source www.nationalbreastcancer.org)

Trials Offer Hope to People with Breast and Ovarian Cancer

Scientists in Birmingham are running one of the first UK trials of a new drug offering hope to people suffering hereditary forms of both breast and ovarian cancer.

The Cancer Research UK clinical trial is open to patients who have already developed an advanced form of breast or ovarian cancer and have been diagnosed with faults in the known cancer susceptibility genes BRCA1 or BRCA2.

The patients on the phase II trial are receiving a potent anti-cancer drugs known as PARP inhibitors.

Dr Daniel Rea, who is running the trial at the Cancer Research UK Centre in Birmingham, said: “People who inherit faults in these genes have a 50-80 per cent chance of developing cancer.

“Currently people with hereditary forms of breast and ovarian cancer are treated in the same way as every other patient who develops advanced stage disease. We hope this trial will show that by using the PARP inhibitor we can offer them more targeted, effective treatment.”

Mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes are responsible for around five per cent of the 45,500 cases of breast cancer diagnosed annually in the UK and for more than five percent of the 6,615 cases of ovarian cancer diagnosed each year.

If this trial is successful in the long-term, the researchers believe this treatment could offer hope for the future by paving the way for the drug to be used as a preventative treatment.

Dr Nigel Blackburn, Cancer Research UK’s director of drug development – whose team are managing the trial, said: “There is a huge amount of interest in the potential for PARP inhibitors and Cancer Research UK is proud to have pioneered research into this class of drug.”

The phase II trial is now open and is likely to take 18 months to complete. Researchers are aiming to recruit 56 patients.

For more information visit Cancer Research UK’s patient information website www.cancerhelp.org.uk

From the Who We Are Page at Cancer Help Dot Org Uk:

About Cancer Research UK

A scientist working in a laboratory Key facts about Cancer Research UK Cancer Research UK launched in February 2002 following the merger of The Cancer Research Campaign and Imperial Cancer Research Fund. We are the world’s leading independent organisation dedicated to cancer research. The charity supports research into all aspects of cancer through the work of more than 4,500 scientists, doctors and nurses. Cancer Research UK is the European leader in the development of novel anti-cancer treatments. We are training the next generation of cancer scientists and doctors. Cancer Research UK employs its own scientists as well as supporting grant-funded researchers based in UK universities, hospitals and institutes. We support research in more than 35 towns across the UK. All the research we support is subject to stringent peer review by external specialists in the relevant fields.

JAX, FL – The Taylor Morrison team recently took to the streets to fight breast cancer during the American Cancer Society’s 11th Annual Making Strides against Breast Cancer 5K walk in San Marco. The team, known as “Linda’s Golden Souls,” walked to honor Linda Bisset, a Taylor Morrison new home sales associate who is currently undergoing treatment to fight breast cancer. The team raised more than $1,000 for the American Cancer Society.

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer is an annual event that provides an opportunity to honor breast cancer survivors, educate women about prevention and early detection, and raise funds and awareness to help the American Cancer Society achieve a day without breast cancer. In 2008, supporters raised more than $60 million nationwide to help the American Cancer Society continue fighting breast cancer and offer hope to people facing the disease.

Frogs for the Cure finds new ways to promote Breast Cancer Awareness

University celebrates 5th Annual Frogs for the Cure

Fort Worth, TX
Monday, November 09, 2009

TCU will celebrate its 5th Annnual Frogs for the Cure event Saturday, Nov. 14 at the TCU vs. Utah football game. Through the annual event, a portion of t-shirt sales and ticket proceeds benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure Tarrant County.

Started in 2006, “Frogs for the Cure” was the first national event to combine football and support for breast cancer research. Ann Louden, TCU chair of the event, says proudly that “each year it has gotten bigger and bigger, not just with fund-raising proceeds, but with campus and community involvement. And it has not escaped notice, that TCU has won all four previous “Frogs for the Cure” games. And now the NFL teams, other colleges and universities and even NASCAR has gotten into the act of imitating TCU by linking their sports contests with Komen for the Cure initiatives.”

Funds are raised through the sale of $12 t-shirts to be worn on game day, with $3 of each shirt sale going to Komen for the Cure. Shirts are available at TCU’s Barnes and Noble Bookstore and at the Spirit Shoppe at the Brown Lupton University Union. Shirts in children’s sizes have been extremely popular this year according to Llisa Lewis, bookstore manager. All football game tickets purchased online at www.gofrogs.com send $5 to the Komen coffers.

All week long, members of the Student Trainers Athletic Association have been flocking yards with pink flamingos to secure donations and build awareness about the TCU and Komen partnership. On campus, the Samuelson and Carter Residence Halls are hosting “Pink Out Bingo” on Wednesday, November 11 from 7-9 PM at which any student may pay to play. Breast cancer survivors Ann Louden and Amy Spence will speak. Members of Zeta Tau Alpha are sponsoring a contest with penny jars to be on display all week across the campus. On Friday, November 13, there will be a yogurt eating contest for faculty, staff and students to collect lids to be sent to Yoplait for a donation to Komen. And Potbelly Restaurant on South University Drive will donate a portion of their lunch proceeds from noon to 2PM on game day. Also on Friday, student Kathleen Perley from Houston, whose mother is a breast cancer survivor, has organized the a panel presentation on inflammatory breast cancer. She is bringing together a medical professional, a TCU nursing oncology professor, and a survivor to talk about this difficult version of breast cancer which often targets young people. Dorothy Patterson from the Komen National office will be in attendance. The event is from 3:00 – 4:30 in the Brown Lupton University Union.

“We are so proud of what TCU is doing to educate young women about this disease,” says Ann Greenhill, Executive Director of the Fort Worth Affiliate of Susan G.Komen for the Cure. “TCU has led the way in making “Frogs for the Cure” a signature event each year and we are so excited to be associated with the University’s work for such an important cause.”

Game day activities include not only the ESPN show, but also a student tailgate that features face painting, bandanna handout, music, pink food, and a banner to be signed in honor and in memory of breast cancer survivors. Over 700 breast cancer survivors will attend the Komen pre-game party in Frog Alley beginning at 4:30 PM.

And also in Frog Alley, game sponsor Baylor All Saints Medical Center will showcase information about the new Joan Katz Breast Center to open in spring 2010. Namesake Joan Katz will be on the field with hospital president Steve Newton for the opening of the game, along with Dick and Mary Lowe, donors to both the Breast Center and TCU athletics. Also being recognized during the game are the TCU’s Mountain West Conference champion 2009 Men’s Tennis team and the 1984 Bluebonnet Bowl Football Team.

The halftime show at the game will salute representatives from more than 20 campus and community organizations who are supporting “Frogs for the Cure”. Carrying pink rally towels provided by Baylor All Saints Medical Center onto the field, more than 1000 people will participate in a pink balloon release accompanied by fireworks before the start of the game’s second half.

In December, after a determination is made of the dollars raised by “Frogs for the Cure”, TCU will host a luncheon for Komen officials and present the check in support of breast cancer research and programs. Over 45 people are serving on the “Frogs for the Cure” committee to make sure this effort is a success.

For more information, go to www.frogsforthecure.com or call 817-TCU-HOPE.

(Source www.tcu.edu)

Tampa, FL — In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Habitat for Humanity teamed up to build two Tampa homes.

Crews were out early this morning working on the 2nd annual Suzie Q. Blitz Build, which includes the first women build house, a project constructed solely with female volunteers and supervisors. It will take about seven days to build the homes. One of the homeowners says not living in an apartment will be a change of pace.

“Different, different. It’s your house. It’s going to be my house and I stop paying for other people. It’s going to be for me. It’s going to be different,” says future homeowner Jahayra Gonzalez. A portion of the event’s proceeds will benefit the Moffitt Cancer Center. (source 10connects – chanel10.com)

From the Habitat for Humanity site at www.tampabayhabitat.org :

Eliminating substandard housing in the Tampa Bay/Central Florida area.

Fourteen affiliates comprise Habitat for Humanity of Tampa Bay/Central Florida: Habitat for Humanity of Citrus County, Habitat for Humanity of Hardee County, Habitat for Humanity of Hernando County, Highlands County Habitat for Humanity, Habitat for Humanity of Hillsborough County, Manatee County Habitat for Humanity, Habitat for Humanity of Central Pasco, East Pasco Habitat for Humanity, West Pasco Habitat for Humanity, Pinellas Habitat for Humanity, Lakeland Habitat for Humanity, East Polk Habitat for Humanity, Habitat for Humanity of Sarasota and South Sarasota Habitat for Humanity.

Our organizations often work together to eliminate duplication of effort and to share ideas that will help us continue to provide safe, decent, affordable housing for those families who so desperately need it. This collaboration has resulted in creating a joint video, public service announcements, and this website to help better serve the needs of struggling families throughout, who wish to volunteer or provide other support for their local Habitat for Humanity office.  For more information, please click on the link that will take you to the    website of the affiliate serving your area .

A National Awareness Campaign to Combat Breast Cancer has been inaugurated in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to coincide with international Breast Cancer Awareness month. The campaign is led by Princess Hessah bint Trad Al-Shaalan, the Honorary President of the Zahra Breast Cancer Association and wife of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, and Princess Rima bint Abdullah bin Abdulaziz. It officially launched on October 10.

As part of this ongoing breast cancer awareness campaign in Saudi Arabia, King Abdulaziz University (KAU) announced that it will establish the first center of excellence in the region for breast cancer. The center will perform mammograms and cooperate in research with specialized international research facilities in Geneva and the United States. It will be run by Dr. Samia Al-Amoudi, a breast cancer survivor and member of the Saudi Cancer Society.   www.saudicancer.com

RocknBauble likes to keep things global, so here is some information about a great Breast Cancer Support Group that spans 41 countries in Europe – Europa Donna

Every 2 minutes a woman in the European Union is diagnosed with breast cancer and every 6 minutes a woman in the European Union dies from breast cancer.

Europa Donna (ED) – The European Breast Cancer Coalition, is an independent non-profit organisation whose members are affiliated groups from 41 European countries. EUROPA DONNA (ED), the European Breast Cancer Coalition, is an independent non-profit organisation whose members are affiliated groups from countries throughout Europe. The Coalition works to raise awareness of breast cancer and to mobilise the support of European women in pressing for improved breast cancer education, appropriate screening, optimal treatment and increased funding for research. ED represents the interests of European women regarding breast cancer to local and national authorities as well as to institutions of the EU. www.europadonna.org

The Irish Chapter -  from their page titled “About Europa Donna Ireland”

Europa Donna Ireland (EDI), The Irish Breast Cancer Campaign, was launched in 1998 as an advocacy group and is one of 43 EUROPA DONNA member countries across Europe. EUROPA DONNA – The European Breast Cancer Coalition was founded in Italy in 1993 and is the breast cancer advocacy organisation for Europe. Europa Donna Ireland is a volunteer run organisation whose membership is largely made up of people with experience of breast cancer and it is a registered charity. www.europadonnaireland.ie Europa Donna Ireland, PO Box 6602, Dublin 8, Ireland

Among the several Europa Donna Ireland publications, we found interest in this one -  “The Irish Breast Cancer Charter”  (Link to PDF 65KB)

Major breast cancer breakthrough announced at BC Cancer Agency

BC scientists first in world to decode genetic evolution of a breast cancer tumour
Vancouver, B.C., Canada – For the first time in history, BC Cancer Agency scientists in British Columbia, Canada have decoded all of the three billion letters in the DNA sequence of a metastatic lobular breast cancer tumour, a type of breast cancer which accounts for about 10 per cent of all breast cancers, and have found all of the mutations, or “spelling” mistakes that caused the cancer to spread.

The landmark study, which will be published October 8th as the cover story in the prestigious international science journal Nature, helps unlock the secrets of how cancer begins and spreads, thus pointing the way to the development of new breast cancer treatment targets and therapies.

“One in nine women is expected to develop breast cancer, and breast cancer accounts for 29 per cent of all cancer diagnoses for B.C. women,” said Health Services Minister Kevin Falcon. “As a result of the efforts of the scientists behind the study, this breakthrough finding gives further hope to the thousands of women with this terrible disease.”

“I never thought I would see this in my lifetime,” said Dr. Samuel Aparicio, head of the breast cancer research program and research team leader at the BC Cancer Agency, an agency of the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA). “This is a watershed event in our ability to understand the causes of breast cancer and to develop personalized medicines for our patients. The number of doors that can now be opened to future research is considerable.”

Partnering with the BC Cancer Agency’s Genome Sciences Centre, Dr. Aparicio’s team used the latest in next-generation DNA sequencing technology to study the evolution of a single patient’s lobular breast cancer tumour over a nine-year interval. They found 32 mutations in the metastatic cancer tumour and then looked to see how many of those same spelling mistakes were present in the original tumour. The result was surprising – only five of the 32 could have been present in all of the cells of the primary tumour, thus fingering them as the criminals that caused the disease to get started in the first place. These five mutations were previously unknown to researchers as playing a role in cancer.

“This study demonstrates the remarkable capacity of next-generation DNA sequencing technology,” says Dr. Marco Marra, Director, BC Cancer Agency’s Genome Sciences Centre. “The project that decoded the first human genome in 2001 took years and an enormous amount of funding. We were able sequence the breast cancer genome in weeks and at a fraction of the cost.”

“Through our research at the BC Cancer Agency, we are dedicated to finding new and novel ways to detect cancer earlier and to develop more enhanced treatments,” said Brian Schmidt Interim President, BC Cancer Agency and Senior Vice President, Provincial Services, Population and Public Health, PHSA. “This discovery is a wonderful example of how investment in research is helping to pave the way toward better outcomes for cancer patients in the future.”

The discovery is not only a major scientific milestone for the BC Cancer Agency, an acknowledged world leader in cancer research care, but also a significant testimony to the power of philanthropy invested in science to fuel cancer research and drive new discoveries.

“The BC Cancer Foundation, as the fundraising arm of the agency, has raised over $15 million to support breast cancer research at the BC Cancer Agency across the province, including Dr. Aparicio’s program, through its Weekend to End Breast Cancer walk,” said BC Cancer Foundation President and CEO Douglas Nelson. “We are very grateful to the many thousands of British Columbians who have walked, donated and supported The Weekend to End Breast Cancer over the past six years. To everyone who has walked or contributed we can confidently say your efforts have made a difference – you are a partner in this remarkable achievement.”

The BC Cancer Foundation founded the BC Cancer Agency’s Genome Sciences Centre, the Centre for Translational and Applied Genomics at the BC Cancer Agency, and the BC Cancer Agency’s Breast Cancer Outcomes Unit, all of which played a key role in the study. The research was conducted in the BC Cancer Agency’s research centre in Vancouver, which was constructed by the BC Cancer Foundation, with donor and provincial and federal government funding.

The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, BC/Yukon Region supported a key member of Dr. Aparicio’s research team through a bioinformatics fellowship. Other funders and supporters include the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, Genome Canada and Genome BC, the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, and the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research.

Dr. Aparicio was recruited in 2005 from Cambridge University, UK to develop a breast cancer research program in British Columbia at the BC Cancer Agency. He holds the Nan and Lorraine Robertson Chair in Breast Cancer Research at UBC, the Canada Research Chair in Molecular Oncology and is a professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at UBC.

The BC Cancer Agency is committed to reducing the incidence of cancer, reducing the mortality from cancer and improving the quality of life of those living with cancer. It provides a comprehensive cancer control program by working with community partners to deliver a range of oncology services, including prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment, research, education, supportive care, rehabilitation and palliative care. The BC Cancer Foundation raises funds to support research and enhancements to patient care at the BC Cancer Agency throughout B.C.

(Source B.C. Cancer Agency www.bccancer.bc.ca)