Research teams at Texas A&M studied anthocyanins, the plant pigments that give dark sweet cherries their deep red colour. They tested these compounds in a model of triple-negative breast cancer because this form of the disease has few treatment options and a high risk of metastasis.
Mice were divided into four groups: a control group; a group given anthocyanins before tumour implantation; a group treated with the chemotherapy drug doxorubicin after tumours developed; and a group that received both anthocyanins and chemotherapy. Anthocyanins before implantation slowed tumour growth and mice kept gaining weight. Chemotherapy alone sometimes caused weight loss, and the combination slowed growth earlier. The treatment also reduced spread to the lungs and other organs, but researchers say more study is needed on safety and absorption.
Difficult words
- anthocyanin — natural plant chemical that gives red colourAnthocyanins
- pigment — natural substance that gives colour to plantspigments
- triple-negative — a breast cancer type with few treatment options
- metastasis — when cancer spreads to other body parts
- chemotherapy — treatment using strong drugs to kill cancer
- absorption — process of taking a drug into the body
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Discussion questions
- Would you eat more dark sweet cherries because of this study? Why or why not?
- What do researchers still need to study about this treatment?
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