Green Tea Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Green Tea, including details on benefits, antioxidants, weight loss, diet, side effects.

Trapping of growth factors by catechins: a possible therapeutical target for prevention of proliferative diseases.

Doss MX, Potta SP, Hescheler J, Sachinidis A

Center of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Institute of Neurophysiology, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany.

The prevention of cancer through dietary intervention is currently receiving considerable attention. Several epidemiological studies substantiate that green tea has a protective effect against a variety of malignant proliferative disorders such as lung cancer, breast cancer and prostate cancer. This preventive potential of green tea against cancer is attributed to the biologically active flavonoids called catechins. Epigallocatechin 3-o-gallate, the major catechin found in green tea, mediates diverse physiological and pharmacological actions in bringing about the regression of the tumors and also lowers the risk of nonmalignant cardiovascular proliferative diseases. Much of the current research is being focused on how these catechins specifically bring about the regression of the experimentally induced tumors both in vitro and in vivo. These catechins exert diverse physiological effects against proliferative diseases by several mechanisms, most of which are not completely characterized. This review summarizes the mechanisms by which these catechins play an essential role in regulating the process of carcinogenesis, with a special emphasis on how these catechins antagonize the growth factor-induced proliferative disorders.

Published 3 May 2005 in J Nutr Biochem, 16(5): 259-66.
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