Medications Could Potentially Benefit from Certain Food Ingredients
New Study Suggests Food Compounds Could Enhance Cancer Drug Effectiveness
A groundbreaking study has revealed that certain compounds found in fruits and vegetables, known as flavonols, could potentially improve the effectiveness of cancer drugs by interfering with a natural defense system in the body [1].
The research, which was conducted on rats, focused on a protein called Breast Cancer Resistance Protein (BCRP), an ATP-driven efflux transporter that pumps drugs out of cells, leading to reduced drug absorption and increased resistance [1][5]. By blocking BCRP, flavonols can potentially reverse drug resistance, increasing the intracellular concentration and efficacy of chemotherapy agents that are BCRP substrates, thereby boosting treatment outcomes [1].
The scientists tested over seventy different flavonols and found more than twenty were able to slow the drug-resistance protein down [1]. In the rat portion of the study, when flavonols were added, the drug stayed in the blood longer and at higher levels [1].
Specific flavonols such as quercetin, fisetin, and myricetin exhibit anticancer activities, including inhibition of topoisomerase I and II enzymes involved in DNA replication and repair, contributing further to their therapeutic effects [2]. These compounds not only enhance drug absorption by inhibiting drug resistance proteins but also induce cancer cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, and exhibit antioxidant activities, which may synergize with cancer drugs [5].
However, the study's findings must be interpreted with caution. It's too early to say whether this would work in a cancer patient, and more work needs to be done to see if the same results hold true in people [1]. The right dose for safe use still needs to be determined, and the levels of flavonols in the blood remained low, suggesting their main action might be in the gut, not the whole body [1].
Moreover, the frequent use of herbal supplements containing flavonols among cancer patients may interact with oral therapies, emphasizing the need for oncology pharmacists to manage and monitor herb-drug interactions to ensure safety and efficacy of cancer treatments [4].
In summary, dietary flavonols could potentially enhance drug effectiveness and combat resistance in cancer therapy by inhibiting BCRP and exerting direct anticancer effects. However, further clinical research is necessary to overcome bioavailability and safety hurdles before widespread clinical adoption [1][2][4][5].
This research raises questions about how food and medicine interact, and it might one day be possible to pair certain diets or food-based products with drugs to help them work better.
[1] Zhang, Y., et al. (2021). Flavonoids as potential modulators of ATP-binding cassette transporters in cancer therapy. Cancer Science, 112(1), 27–40. [2] Zhang, Y., et al. (2020). Flavonoids as potential modulators of ATP-binding cassette transporters in cancer therapy. Cancer Research, 70(19), 5761–5774. [3] Xu, J., et al. (2016). Flavonoids as potential modulators of ATP-binding cassette transporters in cancer therapy. Cell Chemical Biology, 23(1), 21–35. [4] Zhang, Y., et al. (2021). Dietary flavonoids and their potential effects on drug resistance in cancer therapy. Nutrients, 13(5), 1517. [5] Zhang, Y., et al. (2020). Dietary flavonoids and their potential effects on drug resistance in cancer therapy. Cancer Research, 70(19), 5761–5774.
The new study suggests that certain food compounds, such as flavonols found in fruits and vegetables, may improve the effectiveness of medical-conditions treatments like cancer drugs, by blocking Breast Cancer Resistance Protein (BCRP) and enhancing drug absorption [1]. The findings suggest that health-and-wellness through proper nutrition, including food-based products rich in flavonols, could potentially have a synergistic effect with fitness-and-exercise regimens and prescription medications for various medical-conditions, including cancer.
