Chillies, long used as an ingredient in recipes around the
world and, more recently, the unwitting star of many ill-advised yet hilarious
YouTube videos, may actually be far more useful than previously thought as new
research suggests that capsaicin, the ingredient that gives chillies their trademark
kick, can actually kill off breast cancer cells.
The study, conducted in Germany by scientists from Ruhr-University
in Bocham, the Herz-Jesu-Krankenhaus hospital in Dernbach and the Centre of
Genomics in Cologne, showed that exposing human samples of breast cancer cells
to capsaicin can induce apoptosis (cell death) due to the way the two react.
When capsaicin reaches a cancer cell, it attaches itself to the cell membrane
and activates a cell receptor called TRPV1 (I know, catchy right?). Then it
really gets to work.
The TRPV1 receptor directly controls which substances, including
crucial vitamins and minerals such as calcium and sodium, can move in and out
of the cancer cell. With capsaicin in control of this receptor the cell is sent
into overdrive. The overworked cells then begin to ‘self-destruct’, stopping
tumour growth in its tracks.
Dr Lea Weber of Ruhr-University wrote in the journal Breast
Cancer - Targets and Therapy, "Capsaicin is capable of inducing apoptosis and
inhibiting cancer cell growth in many different types of cancer, for example,
osteosarcoma, colon, and pancreatic cancer cells, while normal cells remained
unharmed."
And therein lies the key; while many compounds have been
shown to damage or kill cancer cells, that line about normal cells remaining ‘unharmed’
is crucial when it comes to developing a viable treatment or cure from capsaicin in the future.
There is, however, one major issue when it comes to fighting
cancer with capsaicin; the compound is ineffective if eaten, inhaled or injected.
As a result, the compound will have to be combined with another
cancer-targeting drug in pill form, which should allow the capsaicin to reach
the cell membrane and do its job.
Despite the challenges involved with creating an effective
treatment or cure from the compound, Dr Weber seemed pleased with the results
of the study as she summarised the team’s findings:
"In this study, we aimed to identify the TRP channels
in different breast cancer subtypes and to investigate the effect of TRPV1
ligand [capsaicin] on breast cancer progression. To our knowledge, no
studies have yet conducted a large-scale comparative study of the TRP channels
expression profiles in breast cancer cell lines.
"In our experiments, a significant reduction in cell
proliferation after capsaicin stimulation was observed. This finding was in
accordance with the results of other scientists, who demonstrated a significant
decrease in the cell growth rate of MCF-7 breast cancer cells upon capsaicin
stimulation."
Sam Bonson
Sam
is an aspiring novelist with a passion for fantasy and crime thrillers. He is currently
working as a content writer, journalist & editor in an attempt to expand
his horizons.
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