Capsaicin kills prostrate cancer cells

A recent study in human cell lines grown in mice models has found that Capsaicin causes prostate cancer cells to kill themselves.

Capsaicin is a component in jalapeqos, a small hot pepper that is red or green when ripe and is extensively used in Mexican cooking. Capsicum is the pepper and capsaicin is the ingredient that makes them hot.

According to conclusions published in the March 2006 issue of Cancer Research, the study found that Capsaicin causes human prostate cancer cells to undergo programmed cell death or apoptosis. The pepper constituent has not only an anti-proliferative consequence on human prostate cancer cells in culture, but it also slowed the progress of prostate tumors.

The study found that capsaicin caused prostate cancer cells whose growth is dependent on testosterone to freeze in a non-proliferative situation, called G0/G1. The prostate cancer cells that are androgen independent respond to capsaicin in a similar way.

The jalapeqos component reduced the quantity of androgen receptor that the tumor cells created, but did not influence the normal movement of androgen receptor into cancer cells nucleus where the steroid receptor operates to regulate androgen target genes such as prostate specific antigen (PSA).

People should be aware not to rise the chillies intake as it has been often linked with stomach cancers. However, it may be soon possible that capsaicin to be extracted from hot chillies and have it as a drug on the market.






NOTE: The Information on this site is provided for information only, and is not meant to substitute for the advice of your own physician or other medical professional.


back to prostate