Mannose, "miraculous" sugar that reduces tumor growth

An investigation in the United Kingdom concluded that: a monosaccharideknown as mannose, present in blueberries, oranges and apples may delay the growth of tumors and increases the effects chemotherapy.

Tests have been performed on multiple cancer mice and will be tested in humans, but it is a step towards understanding how mannose might be used help treat cancer. the researchers said, according to Cancer Reseach UK

Tumors use more glucose than normal and healthy tissues. However, it is very difficult to control the amount of glucose in your body with just the diet. In this study, the researchers found that mannose It can interfere with glucose to reduce the amount of sugar that cancer cells can use.

Kevin Ryan, lead author of the Beatson Cancer Research Institute in the UK, said: "Tumors need a lot of glucose uptake, limiting the amount they can use slowing down cancer progression. The problem is that normal tissues also need glucose, so we can not completely remove it from the body. "

In our study, we found a dose of mannose that could block enough glucose to slow tumor growth in mice, but not as much as normal tissues were affected. This is an initial investigation, but it is hoped that finding this perfect balance means that in the future it could be administration of mannose in cancer patients to improve chemotherapy without harming your general health. "

The researchers first examined how the mice responded with pancreatic, lung or skin cancer when added mannose to drinking water and was given as an oral treatment. They found that addition of the supplement significantly reduced tumor growth and did not cause obvious side effects.

To test how mannose could affect and treat cancer, mice were treated with cisplatin and doxorubicin, two of the most commonly used chemotherapy drugs. They found that mannose ameliorate the effects of chemotherapy, decrease tumor growth, diminish the size of tumors and even increase the life of mice.

Other types of cancer have also been investigated, such as leukemia, osteosarcoma, ovarian cancer and intestine. The researchers cultivated the cancer cells in the lab and then treated them with the mannose to see if their growth was affected.

Some cells responded well to treatment, while others did not respond. It has also been found that the presence of an enzyme that decomposes mannose in cells was a good indicator of treatment efficiency.

Professor Kevin Ryan added: "The next step is to investigate why treatment only works in some cells to determine which patients could benefit the most from this approach. We hope to start manic clinical trials as soon as possible to determine their true potential as new cancer treatment ".

Mannosa is sometimes used for short periods of time to treat urinary tract infections, but its long-term effects have not been investigated. It is important to do more research before mannose can be used in cancer patients.

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