Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Prostate Cancer Research Info

By Jason Myers

Pomegranates have long been utilized in traditional folk remedies to treat sore throats, inflammation, and rheumatism. And recent scientific research has suggested that they are also possibly responsive in both preventing and treating prostate cancer.

One study, conducted on human prostate cancer cells in lab dishes, at the University of Wisconsin, revealed that there existed dosage dependant improvements. Another study at the same facility occurred wherein mice were injected with human prostate cancer cells. These mice acquired malignancies. Some mice were fed with plain fluid, whilst two other groups of mice were given fluidd blended with different concentration level of pomegranate extract.

Those mice subjects that were plainly fed with water had tumours that developed much faster than the pomegranate and water groups. The quantities given to the mice were identical to that which individuals might take in if they drink pomegranate juice everyday. And although pomegranate juice has yet to be tested on human beings with prostate cancer, the results are indeed encouraging.

The study did not indicate what aspects of pomegranate juice were responsible for slowing down prostate tumour growth. But the scientists involved mentioned the antioxidant polyphenolic compounds, which prove to be more responsive than green tea and red wine.

Pomegranate extract not only suppressed the development of cancer cells, it also worked by another means - apoptosis.

Apoptosis refers to a way that cells can break down. Cancer growths are characterized by an uncontrolled growth of cells without following the the normal processes of cellular differentiation of regular healthy cells. Cellular differentiation implies that the characteristics of a cell change and acquire the functions inherent to a mature, healthy cell would. For example, liver cells have specialized liver functions, as do prostate, breast, kidney, and all other cells types. This is normal and healthy.

In tumour growths, though some cells fully differentiate, many only differentiate partially, and some do not differentiate at all. And the tumors which have more undifferentiated cells grow faster. So, stimulating cellular differentiation is one approach to cancer treatment. One more procedure being tried by doctors and researchers in treating cancer is by causing the death of cancerous cells. They do this through apoptosis, mentioned above, and necrosis.

Generally, prostate cancer grows at a very slow rate, though it is sporadic and can advance and spread quickly.

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