Recent research may have discovered a molecule that slows down triple-negative breast cancer, which is difficult and aggressive to treat.
Research
Research done at Bochum, Germany’s Ruhr University, with collaboration by several German institutions, tested the effects of a spicy compound found in chili peppers that could help in slowing cultivated tumor cells of a subtype of breast cancer known as triple-negative breast cancer.
Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women around the world, regardless of ethnicity or race.
What are the Effects of a Spicy Molecules on Cancer Cells?
The researchers tested the effect of an active ingredient, which is commonly found in chili or pepper known as capsaicin, on SUM149PT cell culture, which is a model for triple-negative breast cancer.
The scientists researchers were motivated by existing study, suggesting that several transient receptor potential or TRP, channels influence cancer cell growth. As the researchers explain, TRP channels are membranous ion channels that conduct sodium calcium and ions, and can be influenced by several stimuli including pH changes or temperature.
One of the TRP channels that play an important significant role in the development of several diseases, and which received a great deal of attention from the scientist, is the olfactory receptor TRPV1.
Capsaicin has also been proven to induce cell death and inhibit cancer cell growth in several types of cancer, including that of pancreatic and colon cancer .
In this new study, the researchers aimed to investigate the expression of TRP channels in a large amount of breast cancer tissue and to analyze how TRPV1 could be used in breast cancer therapy.
The conclusion of the study was published in Breast Cancer: Targets and Therapy.
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