In January 2002, Dr Richard Béliveau's team came
into the public eye after publishing studies in Cancer
Research which showed that green tea has a proven pharmacological
effect in preventing and treating tumours. “There
was some data in the literature showing that the Japanese
and Chinese populations, which consume a lot of green tea,
had fewer cancers. These epidemiological studies intrigued
us. We wanted to see what lay behind this phenomenon,”
explains the head of the Molecular Medicine Laboratory in
the Charles-Bruneau Cancer Research Centre at Sainte-Justine
hospital, affiliated with Université de Montréal.
By testing the effects of different molecules found in green
tea on cancer cell lines, the team discovered that some
of them, catechins, inhibited the growth of blood vessels
that nourish tumours. The research, conducted by Sylvie
Lamy and Dr Denis Gingras, revealed that drinking one to
two cups of green tea a day is sufficient to produce a beneficial
effect.
Since this initial publication, the 48 members of Dr Béliveau’s
team have turned their efforts to determining if other food
might be effective against cancer. They have already found
active molecules in cabbage, broccoli, soy, blueberries,
tomatoes... and the search goes on. The team's discoveries
are so promising that Dr Béliveau has decided to
name this new branch of medicine nutratherapy. “We
wanted to echo the idea of chemotherapy, which uses synthetic
molecules. The research is carried out in exactly the same
way, with pharmacological, epidemiological and clinical
studies, but with natural molecules instead. It’s
a revolutionary new concept.”
In soy, the researchers isolated a molecule named genisteine.
The research demonstrated that it worked on the same principle
as Gleevec or Iressa, two medicines used in the fight against
the cancer. “It is amazing what you can find in food.
And yet research in this field has barely started.”
Since eating foods like broccoli poses no risks and involves
no side effects, nutratherapy can be tested immediately
on patients. In conjunction with Drs Albert Moghrabi and
Stéphane Barrette of the Hematology-Oncology Department
and Dr Josée Dubois of the Vascular Malformation
Clinic, Dr Béliveau has already begun proposing a
therapeutic diet for children undergoing clinical treatment.
Tests on adults have also started at Notre-Dame Hospital
and Montreal General Hospital. “Obviously this is
not a replacement for conventional therapy; it’s more
of an adjunct therapy. Rather than send the patient home
and to tell him to eat anything he wants, we tell him to
follow our diet. It can’t do any harm, that’s
for sure.” In addition to looking for new foods with
cytotoxic or antiangiogenic properties, Dr Béliveau’s
team is working hard to determine what quantities must be
consumed daily to produce a pharmacological effect. Contrary
to what you might expect, large quantities are not needed.
A half cup of cabbage or broccoli is probably enough.
Researcher: Richard Béliveau
Telephone: (514) 345-2366
Funding: Fondation Charles-Bruneau, Cancer Research Society
