A variety of natural treatment is claimed to fight cancer cells. Researchers found papaya leaf extract could be effective against various tumors and a traditional medicine.
Nam Dang researchers from the University of Florida and colleagues from Japan documenting the anti-cancer affects of papaya against tumors of the cervix, breast, liver and pancreas. This research report has also been published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology.
The researchers used extracts made from dried papaya, and it turns out that the resulting affects could be stronger. Dang and other scientists showed that papaya leaf extract can increase the production of key signaling molecules called Th1 type cytokines, these molecules help regulate the immune system.
This could be a therapeutic treatment to fight cancer cells by enhancing the immune system.
The scientists said that papaya leaf extract has no toxic affect on normal cells, it can certainly avoid the side affects are generally always occur in some cancer treatments.
Researchers used 10 different cancer cell types with 4 variations papaya extract and measure their affects after being gave the papaya extract for 24 hours. Results show papaya extract found it could slow the growth of cancer cells in all different mediums.
The results are still taking a long time and will certainly be farther developed to be carried out clinical trials of experimental animals that can later be tested in humans. If research is successful, it will create a new treatment against cancer cells by using traditional materials.