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Milk proteins `have cancer-protective properties`

Washington, Thu, 04 Oct 2012 ANI

Washington, October 4 (ANI): Researchers have found that a milk protein with known health effects significantly reduces the growth rate of colon cancer cells over time by prolonging the period of the cell cycle before chromosomes are replicated.

In a new study, investigators from Sweden report that treatment with found lactoferricin4-14 (Lfcin4-14) reduces DNA damage in colon cancer cells exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light.

"We previously hypothesized that the prolongation of the cell cycle in colon cancer cells as a result of Lfcin4-14 treatment may give the cells extra time for DNA repair," Professor Stina Oredsson, one of the lead investigators from the University of Lund, Sweden, said.

"Indeed, UV light-induced damage was decreased in colon cancer cells treated with Lfcin4-14 compared with controls. The differences were small but significant," Oredsson said.

Investigators exposed colon cancer cells to UV light that caused DNA damage and then grew the cells in the absence or presence of Lfcin4-14.

They evaluated DNA damage using a sensitive technique known as comet assay. After the cells are processed, the cells with DNA damage resemble a comet with a tail, and the intensity of the tail compared to the comet head indicates the number of DNA breaks.

UV light exposure resulted in an increase in the number of comets while treatment with Lfcin4-14 reduced the number of comets in UV light-exposed cells.

To understand the mechanism by which Lfcin4-14 reduced DNA damage, investigators evaluated the levels of several proteins involved in cell cycle progression, DNA repair, and cell death.

They found an increase in flap endonuclease-1, a protein associated with DNA synthesis; a decrease in b-cell lymphoma 2-associated X protein, which is involved with cell death; and a decrease in the level of H2AX, indicating more efficient DNA repair.

"These changes in expression support our hypothesis that Lfcin4-14 treatment resulted in increased DNA repair," Dr. Oredsson said.

Oredsson notes that cancer cells, in general, have defects in the DNA repair mechanisms. Thus, Lfcin4-14 may have a greater effect on normal cells than on cancer cells.

"Our data suggest that the effects of Lfcin4-14 in prolonging the cell cycle may contribute to the cancer preventive effect of milk. This must be further investigated in different systems," she added.

The study has been published in the Journal of Dairy Science. (ANI)


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