A compound found in green tea, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), may have potential for both treating and preventing uterine fibroids, according to a recent pre-clinical, proof-of-concept study.
The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, adds to a growing body of evidence that EGCG might inhibit fibroid cell growth.
A New Approach to Treating Uterine Fibroids
The study was specifically designed to identify how EGCG influences fibroid cells.
The researchers, including James Segars Jr., professor of gynecology and obstetrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, conducted experiments using human fibroid cells grown in a laboratory and treated with EGCG extract.
Uterine fibroids are the most common benign tumors of the uterus, with an estimated 77% of women likely to develop them by age 50.
The symptoms can be severe, leading to heavy uterine bleeding, pelvic pain, and even infertility. Fibroids are also the leading cause of hospitalization for hysterectomy in the United States.
A Closer Look at EGCG and Fibroids
In the study, the researchers treated uterine fibroid cells with EGCG and examined the effects on several proteins associated with cell growth and the extracellular matrix.
They found that EGCG reduced the levels of certain proteins and disrupted pathways involved in fibroid tumor cell growth, movement, signaling, and metabolism.
Lead author Md Soriful Islam, a postdoctoral fellow at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, suggests that EGCG supplements could be a natural, accessible way to manage fibroid symptoms and slow their growth.
These findings support an ongoing clinical trial of EGCG in women with fibroids seeking pregnancy, known as the FRIEND study.
A Word of Caution
Despite the promising results, the researchers warn against self-dosing with green tea supplements, as further studies are required to determine optimal doses and potential side effects. Future research on EGCG will include clinical trials with diverse patient groups.
Funding for this research was partly provided by the National Institutes of Health’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and the Howard W. and Georgeanna Seegar Jones Endowment.
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The study was published in the journal Scientific Reports.
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