In Malaysia, University of Malaya researchers found that four species of a tropical and subtropical herb called Phyllanthus, can offer hope for breast cancer patients. Researchers studied how the extracts from the flowering herb fights breast cancer by killing the cells in two ways. The extracts suppressed two proteins known for supporting the cancer cells, thus blocking the tumor cells from spreading. The extracts also caused a key compound that “turns on” tumor growth to be interrupted, thus reducing blood vessel growth to the tumors and resulting in cell death. The plants were found to have high polyphenol compounds and antioxidants, which help fight cancer as well. It might be a while before the herbs can be used for patient treatment as they still have to undergo animal testing and human clinical trials.
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