Red wine compound may kill pancreatic cancer cells

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A compound found in the skin of red grapes and red wine may help induce pancreatic cancer cells to malfunction and die, a lab study has found.

The compound, called resveratrol, is produced by certain plants as part of their defense arsenal against pathogens. A handful of foods, including raspberries, blueberries and peanuts, contain resveratrol, but it is most abundant in the skin of red grapes and, therefore, red wine.

In the new study, researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York treated human pancreatic cancer cells with resveratrol, either alone or in combination with radiation.

They found that the wine compound disrupted the activity of the cancer cells' mitochondria, energy-producing centers needed for cells to function. Resveratrol also impaired certain cancer-cell proteins that thwart chemotherapy by pumping drugs out of the cell.

In combination with radiation, but not alone, the compound bumped up the production of cell-damaging substances called reactive oxygen species -- potentially making the cancer cells more destructible.

And, in fact, cancer cells treated with the combination were more likely to self-destruct, the study found.

"While additional studies are needed, this research indicates that resveratrol has a promising future as part of the treatment for cancer," lead investigator Dr. Paul Okunieff said in a university statement.

He and his colleagues report the findings in the journal Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology.

What the results mean for cancer patients is not yet clear. Resveratrol is available in over-the-counter supplements, but there is no evidence that taking them aids cancer treatment. People undergoing cancer treatment should also not take any supplement without discussing it with their doctor first.