Save
Email
Print
ShareScienceDaily (May 4, 2007) — Scientists have revealed the mechanisms by which a natural compound destroys blood cancer cells.
Cyanidin, a chemical widely available in fruits, vegetables, and red wine, is known for its anticancer properties, but the details of how it works at the cellular level have been unclear -- until now.
Xiao-Ming Yin and colleagues studied the effects of cyanidin on cultured cells from leukemia and lymphoma patients. They discovered that cyanidin increased the levels of molecules well-known for killing cells. These molecules, called reactive oxygen species, destroyed the cancer cells while sparing the surrounding healthy blood cells. These results could be used to develop new anticancer drugs, the scientists concluded.
Article: "Cyanidin-3-Rutinoside, a Natural Polyphenol Antioxidant, Selectively Kills Leukemic Cells by Induction of Oxidative Stress" by Rentian Feng, Hong-Min Ni, Shiow Y. Wang, Irina L. Tourkova, Michael R. Shulin, Hisashi Harada, and Xiao-Ming Yin
Recommend this story on Facebook, Twitter,
and Google +1:
Other bookmarking and sharing tools:
Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
more 
