Foods that deactivate the cancer switch

GRP78 — that’s the name of a protein that’s sparking the interest of cancer researchers.

Why?

Because it’s a protein that’s responsible for activating mutations known as KRAS mutations.

KRAS is a type of gene that can cause normal cells to “switch” to cancerous cells. And these mutations are involved in all sorts of cancers…

For instance, 30 to 50 percent of colorectal tumors have KRAS mutations. Around 90 percent of pancreatic cancers have them. And in fact, they occur in about one-third of all human cancers — so targeting the protein that activates KRAS is a really big deal…

Not only because GRP78 proteins can increase your risk of developing cancer — but because it’s levels increase in those who are unfortunate enough to get cancer. This means a higher chance of cancer recurrence, along with a decreased rate of survival.

All of this bad news about GRP78 has prompted scientists to explore if they could potentially reduce or inactivate it.

So in a recent study, they chose to study pancreatic cells for two reasons:

1. Compared to other cancers, pancreatic cancers host the highest percentage of KRAS mutations.
2. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is one of the deadliest forms of cancer, with a survival rate of less than 10 percent.

Thankfully, their experiment led them to the conclusion that it is possible to directly influence this devastating protein…

Their study, using mice, showed that just a 50 percent reduction of the GRP78 protein in pancreatic cells is enough to halt the earliest stage of pancreatic cancer development.

But while researchers know the objective, it’s been a challenge to specifically target these proteins with drugs.

The good news is they’ve been turning their attention to a range of foods and herbs as promising therapeutic agents…

Foods that deactivate the cancer switch

According to one of researchers, Amy Lee, PhD, professor of biochemistry and molecular medicine at the Keck School and the Judy and Larry Freeman Chair in Basic Science Research at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, “Certain food and herbs, including green tea and soy, contain natural compounds that can suppress the protein.”

To see green tea mentioned here is no surprise: It continues to amaze every time researchers takes a look at its powerful cancer-fighting polyphenols known as catechins.

And isoflavones found in soy have also been shown to decrease several genes and proteins that lead to KRAS mutations.

Other potential cancer-fighting compounds that have been found to inhibit KRAS mutations include sulforaphanes found in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and kale, and the the polyphenol quercetin found in broccoli, onions and berries.

Honokiol, extracted from the Magnolia or bull bay tree and known as the flower that keeps tumors from growing, is another potential agent that has GRP78-binding effects.

Still, while these natural plant compounds do show promise in research, at this stage, none of them have been put to work in clinical practice — because that’s just not how mainstream medicine chooses to fight disease.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t start eating more of these foods and herbs known to have beneficial effects…

Start with:

• Drinking at least 2 cups of green tea per day.
• Eating cruciferous vegetables at least 3 times a week.
• Taking a honokiol supplement — on top of its cancer-fighting effects it’s a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent.
• And skip the meat on the odd occasion for a meal containing organic soy — edamame, tempeh, tofu, or natto.

Sources:

1. Shen J, et al. GRP78 haploinsufficiency suppresses acinar-to-ductal metaplasia, signaling, and mutant Kras-driven pancreatic tumorigenesis in mice. — PNAS. 2017:E4020–E4029.
2. Shapira S, et al. Terpinen-4-ol: A Novel and Promising Therapeutic Agent for Human Gastrointestinal Cancers. — PLoS One. 2016;11(6):e0156540.
3. Appari M, et al. Sulforaphane, quercetin and catechins complement each other in elimination of advanced pancreatic cancer by miR-let-7 induction and Kras inhibition. — Int J Oncol. 2014;45(4):1391-1400.
4. Martin S, et al. Inducing apoptosis of cancer cells using small-molecule plant compounds that bind to GRP78. — Br J Cancer. 2013;109(2):433-43.
5. Guo X, et al. Long-term soy consumption and tumor tissue MicroRNA and gene expression in triple-negative breast cancer. — Cancer. 2016;122(16):2544-51.
6. Pure honokiol extract — Dr. Isaac Eliaz. (2017). Dreliaz.org. Retrieved 20 July, 2017.
7. The secret to combating pancreatic cancer may lie in suppression of a common protein— (2017). Sciencedaily.com. Retrieved 20 July, 2017.