Broccoli sprout extract protects against oral cancer in mice and proved tolerable in a small group of healthy human volunteers, the Univ. of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI), partner with UPMC Cancer Center, announced at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting in Philadelphia.
The promising results will be further explored in a human clinical trial, which will recruit participants at high risk for head and neck cancer recurrence later this year. This research is funded through Pitt’s Specialized Program of Research Excellence grant in head and neck cancer from the National Cancer Institute.
“People who are cured of head and neck cancer are still at very high risk for a second cancer in their mouth or throat, and, unfortunately, these second cancers are commonly fatal,” said lead author Julie Bauman, co-director of the UPMC Head and Neck Cancer Center of Excellence. “So we’re developing a safe, natural molecule found in cruciferous vegetables to protect the oral lining where these cancers form.”