The extract creates conditions unfavourable for the cancers’ growth by
damaging both their cells’ DNA and stops the pathways that allow repair.
“It’s a rather dramatic effect,” said Rajesh Agarwal, study investigator at
the University of Colorado Cancer Centre and professor at the Skaggs School
of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
“Cancer cells are fast-growing cells. Not only that, but they are
necessarily fast growing. When conditions exist in which they can’t grow,
they die,” said Agarwal, according to a university statement.
“I think the whole point is that cancer cells have a lot of defective
pathways and they are very vulnerable if you target those pathways. The same
is not true of healthy cells,” added Agarwal.