A team of researchers at Ruhr Bochum University in Germany has studied cultured cancer cells for triple-negative breast cancer, a type of cancer for which chemotherapy is the only treatment. The researchers found that specific receptors called TRPV1 are activated by capsaicin.
A large number of cancer cells are doomed to die and the remaining cells are no longer able to move quickly, and therefore, the division process was followed as slowly as possible and the cancer growth process was significantly slowed down. Of course, capsaicin intake from food is not enough and should be accompanied by a medical treatment.
“If we can activate TRPV1 receptors with certain drugs, it could lead to the development of a new treatment for this particular type of cancer,” said Hans Hutt, a lead researcher in the study.
Triple-negative breast cancer is a subset of breast cancer that lacks the three receptors found in other types of breast cancer. Successful breast cancer treatments target most of those three receptors, making their absence difficult to treat triple-negative. About 10 to 20% of breast cancers are diagnosed as triple negative. This type of invader is more likely to recur than other types of breast cancer.
Capsaicin has already been studied for its medicinal properties. A 2011 study in Taiwan found that this molecule causes apoptosis, or self-destruction, in certain types of breast cancer cells. Capsaicin is also used as a pain reliever in some topical medications.
Source: The Age of Iran
