UM Researchers Present Dramatic Cancer Findings

         Researchers from the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller
School of Medicine have presented dramatic findings at a national
cancer meeting that show a link between a very potent antioxidant that
occurs naturally in the body, and the ability to kill breast and
prostate cancer cells.  The antioxidant they have studied is
Ubiquinone, more commonly referred to as Coenzyme Q10 or CoQ10, and
delivery of the therapy could soon  be as simple as applying an
ointment to the tumor site.

           CoQ10 is one of the most important antioxidants found in
the body, and is used by cells not only to protect against free radical
damage, but also to produce ATP,  a compound that powers every cell in
the human body.  High levels of CoQ10 are especially essential in the
high activity cells, such as heart muscle cells, brain cells, and
immune system cells.  As we age, CoQ10 levels drop off, and decreased
levels of the antioxidant have been observed in cancer, diabetes, and
neurodegenerative diseases.

           In laboratory and animal studies, the UM researchers found
that by delivering CoQ10 to cancer cells and tissues, the molecule
induced apoptosis, which is the normal programmed cell death that goes
awry in the disease process.  "The most amazing part is that we've
been able to restore a cancer cell's ability to kill itself, while
not impacting normal cells,"   said Niven Narain, research associate
in the Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery at the Miller
School of Medicine.

            The scientists made two presentations at the annual
meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research in Anaheim, Ca.
The first presentation involved the most common prostate cancer cell
line, PC3.  The researchers showed that adding CoQ10 to the cells in
vitro, or in the laboratory, there was a 70 percent inhibition of cell
growth over 48 hours and a reversal in the expression of a key
anti-apoptotic protein, bcl-2.  "We saw evidence that the remarkable
reduction in cell growth was due to apoptosis, showing that CoQ10
restored the ability of the cancer cells to kill themselves," said
Narain.

In the second presentation, the researchers showed the impact of CoQ10
on several different breast cancer cell lines.  They found the
substance greatly inhibited the proliferation of breast cancer cells,
while providing a stabilizing effect on the normal mammary cells.
"This suggests to us that CoQ10 could be an effective adjuvant
anti-tumor agent in breast carcinomas," said Indushekhar Persaud,
research associate  in the Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous
Surgery at the Miller School of Medicine.

           The scientists have employed various ways to deliver the
CoQ10, including through the skin.  They used liposomes made of
phospholipids as a molecular vehicle to deliver dermatologically active
agents into targeted cells.  "This significant work is an excellent
model for the important outcomes of  basic science research, to offer
new opportunities for exploring therapeutic options in ill patients.
It is the laboratory bench to bedside paradigm we all seek,"  said
Lawrence Schachner, M.D., chairman of the Department of Dermatology and
Cutaneous Surgery.

            S.L. Hsia, Ph.D., director of the Transdermal
Delivery/Cutaneous Biology Laboratory and principal investigator of the
research, said, "It is amazing that a benign compound, CoQ10, can
cause the cancer cells to selectively kill themselves without harm to
normal cells. Moreover, we have a novel topical delivery system that
offers cancer patients an improved quality of life with a boost of
energy.  Indeed, our team looks forward to one day bringing the benefit
and hope of this technology to many cancer patients."

http://www.med.miami.edu/news/view.asp?id=403