Capsicain may play a major role in the development of the next generation of anti-cancer drugs, researchers from the Universities of Nottingham and Cardiff, UK, claim in a recently published study. Dr. Timothy Bates and his colleagues found that compounds belonging to the family of vanilloids, such as capsicain, can kill cancer cells by attacking their mitochondria, which is responsible for the production of ATP. The vanilloids bind proteins in the tumor cell mitochondria, thus triggering apoptosis localized to the cancer cells. Dr. Bates commented that ‘This is incredibly exciting and may explain why people living in countries like Mexico and India, who traditionally eat a diet which is very spicy, tend to have lower incidences of many cancers that are prevalent in the western world.’
The compound has been successfully tested on human lung cancer and pancreas cancer cells, indicating that it may also be effective in other types of cancer. Capsicain is a natural compound that is not only a part of human diet, but is also already used in treatments for muscle strain and psoriasis, a fact that will greatly facilitate the process of developing a new anti-cancer drug and getting it approved for use in humans. Moreover, Dr. Bates also thinks it possible that ‘… cancer patients or those at risk of developing cancer could be advised to eat a diet which is richer in spicy foods to help treat or prevent the disease.’
The study has been published in Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications (2007;354:50-55). Additional source: News release issued by the University of Nottingham.