Green tea ingredient plus trastuzumab fight cancer

the Oncology Nurse Advisor take:

According to findings published online in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, researchers have found that the molecule (-)-epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (EGCG), which is a major ingredient in green tea, can be utilized as a carrier for anticancer antibodies. EGCG functions as a carrier by binding to the antibody, thereby forming a stable therapeutic nanocomplex.

The researchers used EGCG, which also has anticancer effects, as a carrier for trastuzumab (Herceptin), a common treatment for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer. The researchers then injected the EGCG-trastuzumab nanocomplex into mice and observed increased tumor selectivity and decreased tumor growth. In addition, they found that the trastuzumab lasted longer in the blood when part of the nanocomplex compared with when injected alone.

The study only used EGCG for the study, not green tea. Green tea is believed to have numerous antioxidants that may protect against cancer. Future studies could be conducted to determine if drinking green tea while receiving cancer treatment would improve outcomes.