VATIS UPDATE Article

According to a team of researchers from Pennsylvania State University (Penn State), the United States, compounds from grapes may kill colon cancer stem cells both in a petri dish and in mice. The compounds – resveratrol – which are found in grape skins and seeds, could also eventually lead to treatments to help prevent colon cancer, said Jairam K.P. Vanamala, at Penn State.

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S., according to the American Cancer Society. “The combination of resveratrol and grape seed extract is very effective at killing colon cancer cells. And what we’re learning is the combination of these compounds is not toxic to healthy cells,” said Vanamala. The research could pave the way for clinical testing of the compounds on human colon cancer, which is the second most common cancer in women and the third in men.

If successful, the compounds could then be used in a pill to help prevent colon cancer and lessen the recurrence of the disease in colon cancer survivors. When taken separately in low doses, resveratrol and grape seed extract are not as effective against cancer stem-cell suppression as when they are combined together. The combined effect of grape seed extract and resveratrol may offer clues as to why cultures with a plant-based diet tend to have lower colon cancer rates.