Could the chemical that makes peppers hot help control malignant mesothelioma tumors? That’s what researchers from the Sbarro Health Research Organization (SHRO) set out to study, and their results were very encouraging.
International Cancer Researchers Reveal Positive Mesothelioma Results
According to a paper titled “Capsaicin Exerts Antitumor Activity in Mesothelioma Cells,” published in the scientific journal Nutrients, the researchers treated various mesothelioma cell lines encompassing all subtypes of mesothelioma with capsaicin to see what effect it would have on cell transformation. Their results demonstrated that the chemical had an antitumor effect on cells that had previously shown themselves to be resistant to cisplatin.
According to mesothelioma researcher Antonio Giordano, M.D., Ph.D., President of SHRO and a professor at Temple University, “This research could pave the way for further studies to evaluate the use of capsaicin for mesothelioma treatment. There is evidence that capsaicin may sensitize mesothelioma cells to chemotherapy, making treatment more effective and that it may reduce the spread of mesothelioma.”
Chemotherapy-Resistant Mesothelioma Cells Target of Study
Malignant mesothelioma has proven to be one of the most challenging forms of cancer to treat, and researchers are constantly searching for new technologies and medications that will make the drug more sensitive to both traditional treatment protocols and new ones. Though much emphasis has been placed on gene therapy and immunotherapy, the idea that effective treatment might be available by using a readily available chemical compound is very encouraging.
The Sbarro Health Organization is a non-profit charity committed to funding excellence in basic genetic research to cure cancers of all types, including malignant mesothelioma. Other researchers involved in this study included scientists from the organization’s Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine and the Center for Biotechnology at Temple University, as well as doctors From SHRO Italia and from the University of Naples “Federico II,” in Italy.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma and you need information on other scientific breakthroughs, the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net can help. Contact us today at 1-800-692-8608 to learn more.
