In a new study from the University of Guelph, researchers found a compound in avocados may ultimately offer a route to better leukemia treatment.
The compound targets an enzyme that scientists have identified for the first time as being critical to cancer cell growth.
In the study, the team focused on acute myeloid leukemia (AML), which is the most devastating form of leukemia.
Most cases occur in people over age 65, and fewer than 10% of patients survive five years after diagnosis.
Leukemia cells have higher amounts of an enzyme called VLCAD involved in their metabolism.
In the study, the team screened nutraceutical compounds among numerous compounds, looking for any substance that might inhibit the enzyme.
They found the best one was derived from avocado.
Earlier, the lab looked at avocatin B, a fat molecule found only in avocados, for potential use in preventing diabetes and managing obesity.
They completed a human study with this as an oral supplement and found that appreciable amounts are fairly well tolerated.
The team says currently, about half of patients over 65 diagnosed with AML enter palliative care. Others undergo chemotherapy, but drug treatments are toxic and can end up killing patients. There’s been a drive to find less toxic drugs that can be used.
If you care about cancer, please read studies about these common food directly linked to cancer risk and findings of widely used blood pressure drugs may increase death risk in breast cancer.
For more information about cancer treatment and prevention, please see recent studies about the root cause of a deadly brain cancer and results showing that this anti-diarrhea drug can kill cancer.
The study is published in Blood. One author of the study is Dr. Paul Spagnuolo.
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