Vegetables Found to Enhance DNA Repair

A new study reveals that various vegetables contain chemicals that appear to enhance DNA repair in cells, which could lead to protection against the development of cancer.

In a study published in the February 2006 issue of the British Journal of Cancer, investigators demonstrated that in laboratory tests, a compound called indole-3-carinol (I3C), found in broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage, and a chemical called genistein, found in soy beans, can increase the levels of BRCA1 and BRCA2 proteins that repair damaged DNA.

Although the health benefits of eating vegetables--particularly cruciferous ones, such as broccoli--are not especially new, this study is one of the first to provide a molecular explanation as to how consuming vegetables could slash an individual's risk of developing cancer, an association found by the study's senior author, Eliot M. Rosen, M.D., Ph.D., professor of oncology, cell biology, and radiation medicine at Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University (Washington DC, USA). "It is now clear that the function of crucial cancer genes can be influenced by compounds in the things we eat,” Dr. Rosen noted. "Our findings suggest a clear molecular process that would explain the connection between diet and cancer prevention.”

In this study, Rosen exposed breast and prostate cancer cells to increasing amounts of 13C and genistein, and discovered that these chemicals enhanced production of BRCA1, as well as its sister repair protein, BRCA2. Mutations in either of these genes can lead to development of breast, prostate, and ovarian cancers.

Because decreased amounts of the BRCA proteins are seen in cancer cells, higher levels might prevent cancer from developing, according to Dr. Rosen, adding that the ability of I3C and genistein to increase production of BRCA proteins could explain their protective effects.



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