Compound derived from omega-3 cures mice of leukemia
Americans who want to stock up on cheap dietary supplements can buy omega-3 capsules and other supplies from a Canadian pharmacy.
Americans who want to stock up on cheap dietary supplements can buy omega-3 capsules and other supplies from a Canadian pharmacy. Scientists continue to find novel uses for these nutrients all the time. One study from Penn State suggests that omega-3s may one day be used to treat chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML).
Patients who have CML produce an abnormal amount of white blood cells. Doctors can treat CML with drugs that can kill the malignant cells. However, these medications are unable to kill cancer stem cells, which may hide safely from the treatment and go on to perpetuate the disease, according to scientists. This means that drugs must be taken continuously.
The study team has been working with a compound known as delta-12-protaglandin J3 (D12-PGJ3), which is produced with the help of a form of omega-3 known as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Previous experiments in mice showed that D12-PGJ3 was useful against one model of leukemia, prompting the researchers to experiment with CML.
Results showed that the compound not only cured mice of CML, but prevented relapses after killing the cancer stem cells. This may be because D12-PGJ3 activated p53, a gene that helps stop the growth of cells with abnormal DNA.
Results are published in the journal Blood.
Natural sources of EPA include some types of fatty fish, such as salmon, herring and tuna, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
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