Taiwanese Research Team Makes Liver Cancer Breakthrough

A Taiwan research team recently discovered that the androgen (male hormone) receptor is the key mechanism that leads hepatitis B to develop into liver cancer, and that ASC-J9, a compound derived from ginger, can suppress the development of liver cancer without reducing androgen concentrations.

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The results of the study by the research team led by China Medical University professor Chang Chawn-shang were published May 19 as the latest cover story in the U.S. journal Science Translational Medicine.

Taiwan’s National Science Council also held a news conference May 20 to introduce the study results, which have garnered a lot of international attention.

Chang noted epidemiology statistics showed that more male hepatitis B patients than their female counterparts develop liver cancer, but that the reasons had been unclear. He said his team was the first in the world attempting to use animal testing to prove that the androgen receptor regulates DNA reproduction and is the key mechanism prompting hepatocarcinogenesis, thereby revealing the reason why male hepatitis B patients develop liver cancer.

Great News!! and Great Work!! by these researchers. Medical breakthroughs like this are absolutely fantastic! A derivative of Ginger no less, I think researches should focus more of their attention on what nature has already provided, instead of concocting some pharmaceutical to try and fix the problem.

Two of my closest friends died of liver cancer caused originally by

contracting hepatitis B and both were on the waiting list for liver

transplants. This surely is a great medical breakthrough of research.

^Y^

[edit on 23-5-2010 by amari]