Japan research uncovers how coffee constituent limits growth of colorectal cancer cells
Posted For: MidNightRider2001
Researchers in Japan say they have identified how a natural compound linked to coffee can slow the growth of colorectal cancer cells, a discovery that could contribute to future approaches for preventing or treating the disease.
Previous epidemiological studies have suggested that people who drink coffee may have a lower risk of developing colorectal cancer. However, scientists had not determined which components of coffee might be responsible for that effect or how they might function within the body.
A research group led by Motoki Watanabe of the Graduate School of Medical Science at Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, along with Shogen Boku of the Department of Clinical Oncology at Kansai Medical University Hospital, examined the role of certain polyphenols found in coffee. These substances, including chlorogenic acid, are broken down in the intestines through hydrolysis and ultimately exist in the body as caffeic acid. The researchers focused on understanding how caffeic acid affects colorectal cancer cells at the molecular level.
Their experiments showed that introducing caffeic acid to colorectal cancer cells significantly reduced the formation of cancer cell colonies. The team also discovered that caffeic acid attaches to a protein known as RPS5, which has been associated with poorer outcomes for patients with colorectal cancer.
Further investigation revealed that when the activity of RPS5 is suppressed, cancer cells stop progressing through the cell cycle at the stage just before DNA replication begins.
Both the presence of caffeic acid and the reduction of RPS5 activity were found to lower levels of cyclin D1, a protein that plays an important role in allowing cells to move through their growth cycle. According to the researchers, RPS5 influences cyclin D1 by regulating how much messenger RNA is produced from certain genes. This type of control is known as post-transcriptional regulation.
The findings suggest that caffeic acid interferes with the function of RPS5 by binding directly to it, which in turn decreases cyclin D1 levels and slows the growth of colorectal cancer cells.
Watanabe said the results could help guide the development of new compounds modeled after the structure of caffeic acid, as well as treatment or prevention strategies that target the RPS5 protein.
He also noted that the study is based primarily on laboratory experiments using cells and does not prove that drinking coffee prevents colorectal cancer. Coffee contains caffeine and other substances that may not be suitable for everyone, and consuming it in excessive amounts is not recommended.
The research was published March 5 in the British scientific journal Scientific Reports.
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