Oral cancer could be prevented or treated with a tomato extract, say researchers at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
When researchers added lycopene, the chemical that forms the red pigment that gives tomatoes their color, to oral cancer cells in a culture, they found that the oral cancer cells began to die. This was a surprise discovery, as researchers were studying the effects of orange carrot pigment on tumor cells. They were using lycopene as a control.
Researchers said they are not sure how the pigment might act against oral cancer cells. They said, however, that they believe the chemical restores a natural process that helps the body kill off cells that are not developing properly.
Normally, there are junctions between adjacent cells that appear to let the cells communicate. Mouth cells seem to be able to detect when there is a problem in the next cell and then order the problematic cell to kill itself. Oral cancer cells lack the necessary junctions between themselves and normal cells, allowing abnormal cells to grow.
Researchers say that lycopene can help re-establish these communication junctions. Lead researcher Bertha Schwartz, Ph.D., says she plans to test lycopene in people who have oral cancer. "We know [we] need to establish the precise mechanism of action of lycopene not only in cancer prevention, but also its possible role in reducing cardiovascular disease and nervous system illnesses," Dr. Schwartz told BBC News Online.
Lycopene also has been linked to a reduced risk of breast, prostate, pancreatic and colorectal cancers.
