New Combination Effective Against Pancreatic Cancer: Substance in Broccoli Supports Cancer Therapy

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100615105243.htm

ScienceDaily (June 15, 2010) — The new cancer medication sorafenib looks promising. Sorafenib is used for advanced liver and kidney cancer and also appears to be effective against cancer stem cells in pancreatic cancer. A team led by Professor Dr. Ingrid Herr, Head of the Department of Molecular Oncosurgery, a group of the Department of Surgery at Heidelberg University Hospital, (Managing Director: Professor Dr. Markus W. Büchler) in cooperation with the German Cancer Research Center, tested the new substance in mice and pancreatic cancer cells. It inhibits resistant tumor stem cells and is also especially effective in combination with sulforaphane, an organic compound found in broccoli.

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There are naturally occurring substances that block precisely this undesired NF-KB pathway and thus make the dangerous cells vulnerable: vegetables from the cruciferous family such as broccoli and cauliflower possess a high content of sulforaphane, an anti-cancer compound. The experiments show that sulforaphane prevents the activation of the NF-kB pathway by sorafenib. The combination treatment reinforces the effect of sorafenib without causing additional side effects. The invasive potential of cancer cells was prevented -- metastasis was completely blocked in cell culture experiments. "We assume that nutrition may be a suited approach to break therapy resistance of cancer stem cells and thus make tumor treatment more effective," Professor Herr suggested.

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