Investigating the Anticancer Effects of Natural Health Products in Combination with Chemotherapeutics Against Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Standing
Undergraduate
Type of Proposal
Poster Presentation
Faculty
Faculty of Science
Faculty Sponsor
Dr. Siyaram Pandey
Proposal
In 2019, over 26 000 Canadian women were diagnosed with breast cancer. Although conventional chemotherapies are effective, their mechanism of action is not specific to cancerous cells. Classic chemotherapeutics, such as taxol and cisplatin, have shown to target healthy cells, therefore they are not optimal for long-term usage. Natural health products (NHPs) are non-toxic, safe for consumption and are effective for a variety of different purposes, notably for their anti-cancer effects. Rosemary Extract (RE) and White Tea Extract (WTE) (or Salvia rosmarinus and Camellia sinensus respectively) are both NHPs with long histories in traditional herbal medicines. Previous studies suggest they have various medicinal properties. We have studied whether RE and WTE can selectively induce cell death in MDA-MB-231, a highly aggressive breast cancer cell line. We have further studied whether they can be administered in conjunction with common chemotherapeutics. Through qualitative and quantitative analysis, we have demonstrated that RE and WTE exhibit selective anti-cancer activity. Combining plant-based extracts with established chemotherapeutics may not only provide more effective treatment but will also reduce the toxicity associated with the latter. We found that the extracts succeeded in enhancing the anticancer effectiveness of taxol and cisplatin. This work further evaluated the mechanism by which RE and WTE induce cell death in breast-cancers. The research will later be extended to in-vivo trials, where the effects of SG are investigated on genetically modified mouse models. The findings provided have offered scientific validation showing NHPs are well-tolerated and effective forms of breast-cancer therapy.
Availability
March 31, available 12-3 pm
Special Considerations
Chris Raad, 4th year student, Interdisciplinary Arts and Science
Lauren Miles, 3rd year student, Biological Sciences
Research Supervisor: Dr. Siyaram Pandey
Investigating the Anticancer Effects of Natural Health Products in Combination with Chemotherapeutics Against Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
In 2019, over 26 000 Canadian women were diagnosed with breast cancer. Although conventional chemotherapies are effective, their mechanism of action is not specific to cancerous cells. Classic chemotherapeutics, such as taxol and cisplatin, have shown to target healthy cells, therefore they are not optimal for long-term usage. Natural health products (NHPs) are non-toxic, safe for consumption and are effective for a variety of different purposes, notably for their anti-cancer effects. Rosemary Extract (RE) and White Tea Extract (WTE) (or Salvia rosmarinus and Camellia sinensus respectively) are both NHPs with long histories in traditional herbal medicines. Previous studies suggest they have various medicinal properties. We have studied whether RE and WTE can selectively induce cell death in MDA-MB-231, a highly aggressive breast cancer cell line. We have further studied whether they can be administered in conjunction with common chemotherapeutics. Through qualitative and quantitative analysis, we have demonstrated that RE and WTE exhibit selective anti-cancer activity. Combining plant-based extracts with established chemotherapeutics may not only provide more effective treatment but will also reduce the toxicity associated with the latter. We found that the extracts succeeded in enhancing the anticancer effectiveness of taxol and cisplatin. This work further evaluated the mechanism by which RE and WTE induce cell death in breast-cancers. The research will later be extended to in-vivo trials, where the effects of SG are investigated on genetically modified mouse models. The findings provided have offered scientific validation showing NHPs are well-tolerated and effective forms of breast-cancer therapy.