Teams at Texas A&M University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Texas A&M AgriLife Research and the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) report that anthocyanins from dark sweet cherries may slow triple-negative breast cancer in mice. The researchers measured both primary tumour growth and metastatic spread, because metastasis is the main cause of cancer deaths.
Mice were assigned to four groups: control; anthocyanins given before tumour implantation; doxorubicin chemotherapy given after tumours developed; and a combined anthocyanin-plus-chemotherapy group. Anthocyanins given before implantation slowed tumour growth without noticeable side effects, and those mice continued to gain weight. Mice given chemotherapy alone sometimes lost weight and showed slower tumour growth later in the study. The combination slowed tumour growth earlier and mice maintained weight.
At the molecular level, anthocyanins alone or with chemotherapy reduced activity of genes linked to cancer spread and therapy resistance. Treatments reduced spread to the lungs more than no treatment or chemotherapy alone and lowered the chance of spread to the liver, heart, kidneys and spleen, although tumour number and size varied between animals. Histology showed variable mitotic index, necrosis and immune cell infiltration, including T lymphocytes. The authors say more research is needed on safety, absorption and how anthocyanins might work with existing treatments.
Difficult words
- anthocyanin — natural pigment in many red or purple fruitsanthocyanins
- metastasis — spread of disease from one organ to another
- chemotherapy — treatment using drugs to kill cancer cells
- resistance — reduced effect of a treatment on disease
- necrosis — death of cells or tissue in the body
- infiltration — entry of cells into another tissue
- absorption — process of a substance entering the bloodstream
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Do you think people should eat foods rich in anthocyanins to reduce cancer risk? Why or why not?
- Why is it important to measure both primary tumour growth and metastatic spread in cancer studies?
- What safety or research questions would you want answered before using anthocyanins with standard cancer treatments?
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