Scientists find phytochemical in Broccoli that could help with prevention and advance cancer therapies

01/12/2015 - 00:00


New research has identified one of the key cancer-fighting mechanisms for sulforaphane, and suggests that this much-studied phytochemical found in broccoli and other foods may be able to move beyond cancer prevention and toward therapeutic use for advanced prostate cancer.


Scientists said that pharmacologic doses in the form of supplements would be needed for actual therapies, beyond the amount of sulforaphane that would ordinarily be obtained from dietary sources such as broccoli. Research also needs to verify the safety of this compound when used at such high levels.

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Ref:  Emily Ho et al. SUV39H1/H3K9me3 attenuates sulforaphane-induced apoptotic signaling in PC3 prostate cancer cells. Oncogenesis, December 2014. DOI:10.1038/oncsis.2014.47