Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Selenium Compounds found in Broccoli and Garlic can help stop Cancer

Since cancers such as melanoma and prostate cancer and other certain types of leukemia weaken the body by over-activating the natural immune system, researchers from the University of Copenhagen have found that a compound in garlic and broccoli may improve cancer treatment long term. Selenium is naturally found in garlic and broccoli and the research has shown that it can slow down the immune over-response. The immune system is responsible for removing things not recognized by the body, like cancer cells. However, different cancer cells are able to block the immune system’s ability to recognize them, which allows them to continue to infect the cells and the body with cancer.


When cancer cells are over-stimulated and overexpress immunostimulatory, the impact on the body is extremely negative. When the molecules over-activate the immune system it collapses. Therefore, the research has shown that the selenium compound is able to block the immunostimulatory molecule that is involved in many aggressive cancers.


The researchers have focused on NGK2D ligands which has eight variants but the researchers have focused on one that assumes a liquid form. This molecular dissolution causes serirous problems once the cancer is raging inside the human body. It is found not only on the surface of the cancer cells, but it also dissolves into the bloodstream of the affected person. However, the selenium compounds are able to neutralize the special variant of the NGK2D ligand within both forms. This is a small step in creating new and better cancer drugs for the future.

I chose this article because I love broccoli and garlic and I was curious on how they can help prevent cancer. I found this to be very interesting and I hope they continue to do research on this to eventually find a way to cure cancer forever!

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