Thursday, April 14, 2011

Muscadine grapes on the vine

51st Year, Number 19

Clemmons, NC 27012

USPS 564-300

Natures Pearl muscadines in cancer research study

ORLANDO, Fla. Everyone knows someone who has been affected by the C word. We live in a country where approximately one of every two men will develop cancer, and one of every three women. But 33,000 members of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) are working diligently to change that. Over 6,000 abstracts (research summaries) were presented at the annual AACR meeting, held April 2-6, 2011, in Orlando, Florida. Researchers presented abstracts on treatment possibilities and study results for the more than 200 types of cancer. Wake Forest Baptist researchers Dr. Ann Tallant and Dr. Patricia Gallagher offered one of the most innovative abstracts on the inhibition of cancer cell growth not by a new pharmaceutical drug, but by muscadine grapes. Dr. Tallant and Dr. Galla gher, professors in the Hypertension and Vascular Research Center at Wake Forest Health Sciences in Winston-Salem, conducted a discussion of their clinical study on Inhibition of Cancer Cell Growth by Mus cadine Grape Seed and Grape Skin Extracts April 5, 2011, at the Orange County Convention Center. The product tested was a natural dietary supplement from Natures Pearl, headquartered in Advance. The abstract detailed the in vestigation of muscadine grape seed and skin extracts effects on seven types of human can cers: lung, colon, breast, skin, brain and leukemia cancers in vitro. In every type of human cancer cells, Natures Pearl muscadine extract inhibited or stopped the growth of each of the seven cancers in the Petri dishes. The researchers found that the highest inhibition of can cer growth tested was in the triple negative breast cancer cells: 92.6% inhibition at the highest concentration of muscadine extract. Other cancers tion by the muscadine extract: human lung adenocarcinoma stopped by 81.8% (at highest concentration); human colon cancer inhibited 80.5% (high est dose). Drs. Tallant and Gallagher have also conducted subse quent studies on the effects of Natures Pearl muscadine extract on cancer cell growth, and they are seeking grants from various funding nonprofits for further research. Their research stood out among the 6,000 abstracts announced at the 2011 AACR meeting, since a minority of abstracts involved natural products in stead of pharmaceutical drugs. Listening to the myriad of vention inspired hope for the future of all those affected by the disease. Even the research ers at the 2011 meeting com mented on how their families had been devastated by cancer, and their intense desire to see progress made.