Cancer
Soybean metabolite may stop prostate cancer spreading
By David Liu, Ph. D.
Mar 18, 2008 - 12:24:18 PM

Tuesday March 18, 2008 (foodconsumer.org) -- A Northwestern University study published in the March 15 issue of Cancer Research suggests that using lots of soybean products or genistein supplements may help prevent spreading of prostate cancer.

The study by Lakshman M and colleagues showed genistein, a metabolite of soybeans decreased the rate of the spreading of prostate cancer by 96 percent in mice.

Dietary genistein has been associated with reduced risk of prostate cancer mortality, according to the background information provided by the authors.

Caner spreading is the ultimate cause of death from prostate cancer, according to the authors.

Lakshman and colleagues had earlier found genistein inhibits prostate cancer cell detachment and cell invasion in vitro, two early steps in the metastasis cascade.

They also have learned that the inhibition of cancer cells from spreading is because genistein inhibit activation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-heat shock protein 27 (HSP27), which are involved in the regulation of prostate cancer cell detachment and invasion.

In the current study, human prostate cancer cells were implanted in inbred athymic mice and by 4 weeks, more than 80 percent of mice developed micrometastasis.

However, in the group of mice fed with dietary genistein, metastases were reduced by 96 percent.

The dose of genistein used in the mouse study was equivalent to the level seen in genistein-consuming men.