Red wine antioxidant may kill cancer cells

By Laura Crowley

27-Mar-2008 - The antioxidant resveratrol, found in grape skins and red wine, can cripple the function of pancreatic cancer cells while sensitising them to chemotherapy, says new research.

Resveratrol is known for its ability to protect plants from bacteria and fungi, while previous research has also found it helps prevent the negative effects of high-calorie diets and has anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer potential.

While this study, published this month in Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, looked at the way the antioxidant may aid pancreatic cancer treatment, it also contributes to the growing knowledge on the health benefits arising from ingredients of red wine.

As well as disabling the function of the cancer cells by reaching and reacting with the mitochondria (the cell's energy source), researchers found that when they were pre-treated with resveratrol before being irradiated, it resulted in a type of cell death called apoptosis. This is an important goal of cancer therapy.

"Antioxidant research is very active and very seductive right now," said Paul Okunieff, chief of radiation oncology at the University of Rochester Medical Centre.

"The challenge lies in finding the right concentration and how it works inside the cell. Resveratrol seems to have a therapeutic gain by making tumour cells more sensitive to radiation and making normal tissue less sensitive."

The study

To build on such findings, Okunieff began studying resveratrol as a tumour sensitizer, which is when the link to the mitochondria was uncovered.

Researchers divided pancreatic cancer cells into two groups: cells treated without resveratrol then iodised, and ones treated with resveratrol at a relatively high dose of 50mg per ml before being iodised.

The amount of resveratrol in red wine can vary between types of grapes and growing seasons, and ranges can be as high as 30 mg per ml. But the researchers said higher doses are expected to be safe as long as a physician monitors the patient.

The study found that resveratrol reduced the function of proteins in the pancreatic cancer cell membranes responsible for pumping chemotherapy out of the cell, therefore making them more sensitive to the treatment.

Additionally, the antioxidant triggered the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), causing apoptosis, and depolarised the mitochondrial membranes, indicating a decrease in the cell's potential to function.