Molecule in Green Tea Used as Carrier for Anticancer Proteins

A molecule that is a key ingredient in green tea can be employed as a carrier for anticancer proteins, forming a stable and effective therapeutic nanocomplex. This new discovery could help to construct better drug-delivery systems.

Some cancer treatments depend on medication comprising the therapeutic drug and a carrier that transports the drug to the tumor site. When designing drug carriers, several factors must be considered, for instance, it must be specific so that it only fights the tumor. Moreover, the drug-to-carrier ratio is important because using high quantities of the carrier could result in toxicity if the body cannot metabolize it. Furthermore, the complex will be ineffective if the body attacks and eliminates it too rapidly.

Joo Eun Chung and colleagues, from the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (Singapore), used the molecule epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (EGCG), which is found in high quantities in green tea, to create a carrier for the anticancer protein Herceptin. The advantage of EGCG over other carriers is that it also has anticancer effects.

The scientists injected the EGCG-Herceptin nanocomplex into mice and discovered that it showed better tumor selectivity and growth reduction, as well as lasting longer in the blood, which could increase its effectiveness than if Herceptin was injected alone.

The investigators published their findings published online October 5, 2014, in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.

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