Black cumin seed oil is said to help fight cancer

Black cumin oil might help combat aggressive colorectal cancer

08/20/2014

The so-called Lynch syndrome is an aggressive type of hereditary colon cancer. The Austrian gastroenterologist Christoph Gasche has discovered active ingredients in black cumin oil, which could help combat this cancer. With his team, the physician has been researching for some years substances that prevent further carcinomas in the case of a hereditary predisposition to this type of intestinal cancer or after an already occurring colonic tumor, or at least postpone it for years. The so-called thymoquinone could be part of it, like the newspaper „The press“ reported.

Hereditary colon cancer is often very aggressive
In Austria, around 5,000 people develop colon cancer each year. At about two to three percent occurs the hereditary Lynch syndrome, in which, unlike other types of bowel cancer numerous polyps are formed. This type of cancer is particularly treacherous, because within a year a benign polyp can develop into a malignant tumor. For non-inherited bowel cancer, this development can take ten years. Therefore, people with a genetic predisposition to the Lynch syndrome should take annual check-ups such as colonoscopies. In 50 percent of children who have one parent, this type of cancer also occurs during their lifetime.

Gasche, who is researching this particularly aggressive form of colorectal cancer in the Christian Doppler Laboratory for Molecular Carcinoma and Chemoprevention, also advocates good precautionary measures. For seven years, he and his team have been searching for substances that prevent, or at least delay, the occurrence of tumors in hereditary disposition or the recurrence of carcinomas. „You have to imagine that these are usually patients who develop a tumor before the age of 50, in people who are fully alive“, explains Gasche in conversation with the newspaper „The press“.

Lynch syndrome develops due to a defect in the repair mechanism in the cells. When propagating, they no longer fix bugs as usual. This turns them into tumor cells. Which genes are involved in this is known to Gasche and his team. The Christian Doppler laboratory was able to improve the replication accuracy of the cells even in animal experiments by administering a drug, mesalazine, although the repair genes were defective. Mesalazine is already being tested on patients in an EU-sponsored clinical trial. The agent is an aspirin related drug previously used to treat inflammatory bowel disease.

Black cumin oil is said to be effective against colon cancer
The gastroenterologist and his team have discovered a drug in black cumin oil that shows similar properties to mesalazine, the so-called thymoquinone. „We work closely with Biogena, which offers thymoquinone in capsules“, reports Gasche. For humans, one would need capsules with 300 milliliters of oil. So far, it has not been possible to produce a more concentrated oil.

„It is known that there are 1000 to 4000 Lynch syndrome carriers in Austria. Nevertheless, only 70 cases are known in Austria“, so the doctor. „The knowledge of this type of intestinal cancer is far too limited in the population as well as among the doctors.“

The gastroenterologist wants to set up a special register for the Lynch syndrome in Austria. In addition, every colon tumor should be examined for the genetic defects that occur in Lynch syndrome. The examination would cost 50 euros per carcinoma. „With this little effort, an estimated 125 families could be identified each year and another 250 relatives protected from carcinogenesis.“

Lynch syndrome is the most common hereditary form of colorectal cancer and affects about five percent of all colon cancer cases. The disease is about equally common in women and men. The average age at diagnosis is 45 years. (Ag)