Cardamon could hold key to treating aggressive breast cancers

By Tom Campbell via SWNS

The spice cardamon could hold the key to tackling aggressive types of breast cancer, according to new research from Florida A&M University.

A natural compound called cardamonin found in the spice kills cancer cells and prevents them from flying under the immune system's radar, according to a new study.

About 42,000 women and 500 men in the U.S. die each year from breast cancer. Black women have a higher rate of death from breast cancer than White women, according to the CDC.

Around 10 to 15 percent of breast cancers are known as "triple-negative" which are more aggressive and deadly.

They are also difficult to treat with hormone-based therapies used for other types of breast cancer.

Now scientists at the Florida A&M University in Tallahassee have made a promising discovery that could pave the way for new treatments.

Author Dr. Patricia Mendonca said: "It has been challenging to develop a targeted therapy for triple-negative breast cancer that is safe and effective at the same time.

"Because of this, there is a critical need to investigate medicinal plants as a new way to combat this cancer.”

How cardamonin affected the expression of a gene dubbed PD-L1 found in tumour cells was studied by the researchers.

This gene plays a critical role in helping breast cancer cells escape the body’s immune system.

They tested the spice compound on cancer cells derived from women with African American ancestry and women of European origins.

Cardamonin was found to kill cancer cells from both groups, but only limit the expression of PD-L1 in European women, the researchers found.

Genetic variations between races could explain why the cancer cells responded differently to the spice.

Dr. Mendonca said: "This is the first study to describe cardamonin’s inhibitory effect on the expression of PD-L1, which is relevant for the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer.

“These findings add support to other research that has shown differences in the tumor microenvironment between African and non-African Americans.”

The researchers are planning on testing their newfound cancer combatting compound on animals and then people.

They are also hoping to uncover what mechanisms are driving cardamonin’s anti-cancer properties.

Dr. Mendonca said: "This is the first study to describe cardamonin’s inhibitory effect on the expression of PD-L1, which is relevant for the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer.

"These findings add support to other research that has shown differences in the tumor microenvironment between African and non-African Americans.”

The findings will be presented at the American Society for Investigative Pathology annual meeting.