Scientist at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center have founded that the sulforaphane, contained in broccoli sprouts and broccoli, can destroy breast cancer stem cells. The researchers tested the sulforaphane in mice and in live cell cultures, discovering that sulforaphane killed breast cancer stem cells that fuel tumors and prevented new ones from growing.

Researchers believe if breast cancer stem cells can be eliminated by developing sulforaphane found in broccoli, tumor spread and metastasis in human body might be controlled too.  Current chemotherapies do not work against cancer stem cells, which is why cancer recurs and metastasis. Researchers believe that eliminating the cancer stem cells is a way to treating breast cancer.controlling_breast_cancer_with_broccoli

In the current study, scientist took lab rat with breast cancer and injected varying concentrations of sulforaphane from the broccoli extract. Researchers then used several established methods to assess the number of cancer stem cells in the tumors. These measures showed a marked decrease in the cancer stem cell population after treatment with sulforaphane, with little effect on the normal cells.

The result, cancer cells from mice treated with sulforaphane were unable to generate new tumors. The researchers then tested sulforaphane on human breast cancer cell cultures in the lab, finding similar decreases in the cancer stem cells.

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