Spicy Red Chilli Compound Slows Lung Cancer Progression

Orlando, Florida (April 6, 2019) – Results from New Study Show that Hot Peppers Compound Could Help Slow the Propagation of Lung Cancer, the Leading Cause of Cancer Deaths in Men and Women women. Most cancer-related deaths occur when cancer spreads to distant sites, a process called metastasis.

"Lung cancer and other cancers usually metastasize in secondary regions such as the brain, liver or bones, which makes them difficult to treat," said Jamie Friedman, Ph.D. candidate who led research in the laboratory of Piyali Dasgupta, PhD, Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine. "Our study suggests that capsaicin, a natural red pepper compound, could constitute a new treatment for fighting metastasis in patients with lung cancer."

Friedman will present the research at the annual meeting of the American Society for Investigative Pathology at the 2019 meeting on Experimental Biology to be held April 6-9 in Orlando, Florida.

In experiments involving three non-small cell human lung cancer cell lines in culture, the researchers observed that capsaicin inhibited invasion, the first step in the metastatic process. They also found that mice with metastatic cancer who consumed capsaicin had smaller areas of metastatic cancer cells in the lung compared to mice not receiving treatment.

Additional experiments revealed that capsaicin suppresses metastasis from lung cancer by inhibiting the activation of Src protein. This protein plays a role in signaling that controls cellular processes such as proliferation, differentiation, motility, and adhesion.

"We hope that someday capsaicin can be used in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents to treat various lung cancers," Friedman said. "However, the clinical use of capsaicin will require overcoming its unpleasant side effects, including gastrointestinal irritation, stomach cramps and a burning sensation."

Researchers are working to identify capsaicin badogues that will not be pungent while maintaining the anti-tumor activity of capsaicin. They are also trying to identify unpowdered, capsaicin-like natural compounds with anticancer activity.

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