To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE

"What everyone seeks is an agent that has an effect on cancer cells but leaves normal cells alone, and this shows that grape seed extract fits into this category."

An extract from grape seeds forces laboratory leukemia cells to commit cell suicide, according to researchers from the University of Kentucky. They found that within 24 hours, 76 percent of leukemia cells had died after being exposed to the extract.

The investigators, who report their findings in the January 1, 2009, issue of Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, also teased apart the cell signaling pathway associated with use of grape seed extract that led to cell death, or apoptosis. They found that the extract activates JNK, a protein that regulates the apoptotic pathway.

While grape seed extract has shown activity in a number of laboratory cancer cell lines, including skin, breast, colon, lung, stomach and prostate cancers, no one had tested the extract in hematological cancers nor had the precise mechanism for activity been revealed.

"These results could have implications for the incorporation of agents such as grape seed extract into prevention or treatment of hematological malignancies and possibly other cancers," said the study's lead author, Xianglin Shi, Ph.D., professor in the Graduate Center for Toxicology at the University of Kentucky.

"What everyone seeks is an agent that has an effect on cancer cells but leaves normal cells alone, and this shows that grape seed extract fits into this category," he said.

Shi adds, however, that the research is not far enough along to suggest that people should eat grapes, grape seeds, or grape skin in excess to stave off cancer. "This is very promising research, but it is too early to say this is chemo-protective."

Hematological cancers—leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma—accounted for an estimated 118,310 new cancer cases and almost 54,000 deaths in 2006, ranking these cancers as the fourth leading cause of cancer incidence and death in the U.S.

Given that epidemiological evidence shows that eating vegetables and fruits helps prevent cancer development, Shi and his colleagues have been studying chemicals known as proanthocyanidins in fruits that contribute to this effect. Shi has found that apple peel extract contains these flavonoids, which have antioxidant activity, and which cause apoptosis in several cancer cell lines but not in normal cells. Based on those studies, and findings from other researchers that grape seed extract reduces breast tumors in rats and skin tumors in mice, they looked at the effect of the compound in leukemia cells.

Using a commercially available grape seed extract, Shi exposed leukemia cells to the extract in different doses and found the marked effect in causing apoptosis in these cells at one of the higher doses.

They also discovered that the extract does not affect normal cells, although they don't know why.

"This is a natural compound that appears to have relatively important properties," Shi said.

To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE

Why Christianity Is Soaring in Iran While Islam Is Collapsing

Canada's Senate Passes Anti-Christian 'Bible Ban' Bill C-9, Now Heads to House of Commons

Good News: US Private Payrolls Post Biggest Gain Since January 2025

Four Senate Republicans Again Unite With Dems to Block Voter ID, SAVE America Act

Senate Passes Border and ICE Funding Megabill

Report: Obamacare Fraud Could Cost Taxpayers $25 Billion This Year

CALIFRAUDIA? Steve Hilton Says Whistleblower Claims of Separate Post Office 'Buckets' for Ballots Arriving AFTER Election Day

Detransitioner Chloe Cole Testifies at Fiery Senate Hearing on Mutilation of Gender-confused Children

NY Assembly Sends Bill to Hochul's Desk to Replace 'Mother' and 'Father' With 'Gestating' and 'Non-Gestating Parent'

Unbelievable! DOJ Exposes the Evil Truth About the SPLC Paying Extremists to Perpetuate Racism

New US Army Hymn 'Eternal Father, Hear Our Prayer' Composed by Former US Army Soldiers Choir Director is Endorsed by Army Chaplains

Henry Nowak's Death Exposed Britain's Two-Tier Justice System

Trump, Netanyahu Play Down Phone Dispute, Hezbollah Refuses to Stop Attacking Israel

Prayer Alert: Tulsi Gabbard Reveals Husband's 7-hour surgery 'Went Well'; But He's 'in a Lot of Pain'

John Bolton to Plead Guilty to Retaining Classified Information

The Texas Rangers' Courageous Stand against LGBT Influence in MLB

Trump Administration Declines Pride Month Observances across the Government

Louisiana Governor Landry Signs 'Biological Truth Act,' Erasing Subjective Gender Labels

Breitbart Exclusive—Doug Burgum: Trump's Restorations of Fountains, Monuments, and Parks Show Squalor Is a 'Choice'

Washington Nationals Fire Exec after Team's Anti-Christian Bias Was Exposed; But Will They Change?

Steve Shultz, Managing Editor
Founder and Owner

Aimee Herd, Editor