Herbal Supplement Found to Curb Growth of Pancreatic Cancer Cells

A new study suggests that a commonly used herbal supplement, triphala, has cancer-fighting properties that prevent or slow the growth of pancreatic cancer tumors implanted in mice.

The study, conducted by investigators from the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (PA, USA), revealed that an extract of triphala, the dried and powdered fruits of three plants, caused pancreatic cancer cells to die through a process called apoptosis--the body's normal process of getting rid of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells. This process frequently is broken down in cancer cells. Findings of the study were presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, April 14-18, 2007, in Los Angeles, CA, USA.

Triphala, one of the most popular herbal preparations in the world, is used for the treatment of intestinal-related disorders. It is usually taken with water and thought to promote appetite and digestion, and to increase the number of red blood cells.

"We discovered that triphala fed orally to mice with human pancreatic tumors was an extremely effective inhibitor of the cancer process, inducing apoptosis in cancer cells,” stated Sanjay K. Srivastava, Ph.D., lead investigator and assistant professor, department of pharmacology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. "Triphala triggered the cancerous cells to die off and significantly reduced the size of the tumors without causing any toxic side effects.”

Dr. Srivastava and colleagues fed mice grafted with human pancreatic tumors 1 to 2 mg of triphala for five days a week, and then compared tumor size and levels of apoptotic proteins in the tumors to a control group of mice that received normal saline only. They discovered that the mice that received triphala had increased levels of proteins associated with apoptosis and considerably smaller tumor sizes when compared to the control group.

Triphala-treated tumors were half the size of tumors in untreated mice. Additional testing demonstrated that triphala activated tumor-suppressor genes, resulting in the production of proteins that support apoptosis, but did not negatively affect normal pancreatic cells.

"Our results demonstrate that triphala has strong anticancer properties given its ability to induce apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells without damaging normal pancreatic cells,” said Dr. Srivastava. "With follow-up studies, we hope to demonstrate its potential use as a novel agent for the prevention and treatment of pancreatic cancer,” said Dr. Srivastava.


Related Links:
University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute