Melanoma is a deadly skin cancer that affects more than 53,000 people annually in the United States, according to Jeremy S. Bordeaux of the Case Western Reserve University. Resveratrol, a chemopreventive agent found in red wine, has been studied in various cancer models and may have potential in human melanoma cancer treatment. If you want to use resveratrol supplements, talk with your doctor first.
Apoptosis
New cancer research from the Marshall University School of Medicine suggests that the use of resveratrol can be beneficial for melanoma patients. This claim stems from the fact that resveratrol causes apoptosis in human melanoma cells. Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is a normal physiological process that selectively kills cancer cells without harming healthy cells, according to Richard M. Niles, PhD, of the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology at Marshall University School of Medicine.
Cancer Cell Proliferation
Resveratrol has been shown to halt the harmful, unwanted growth characteristic of melanoma cancer cells, according to an extensive cancer prevention study conducted by Albert Polans, PhD, the Associate Director of the Eye Research Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. This study has also confirmed resveratrol's ability to kill cancer cells, including those of the eye and other organs, but it is currently unknown how resveratrol works with human cancer cells.
Angiogenesis
Resveratrol inhibits angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels, which provide melanoma cell lines with oxygen and nutrients. Resveratrol has been shown to exert an anti-angiogenic effect through inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor, a signal protein produced by cells that enhance tumor angiogenesis and growth, according to a study published online in 2010, conducted by Valerie Trapp and her colleagues at the University of California.
Therapeutic Dosages
Yet it remains unclear which dose of resveratrol supplementation is sufficient to provide its positive health benefits. Red wine is a good source of resveratrol, but amounts of resveratrol vary between types of grapes and by growing season. Drinking one to three glasses of red wine a day may offer protection from diseases such as cancer, according to the Huntington's Outreach Project for Education at Stanford University.
References
- Net Wellness; Skin Cancer; Jeremy S. Bordeaux; August 2010
- Marshall University School of Medicine; Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology: Major Research Interests; Richard M. Niles
- University of Wisconsin-Madison; UW Eye Research Institute: Newsletter; Fall 2006
- University of California: Anti-Angiogenic Effects of Resveratrol Mediated by Decreased VEGF...; Valerie Trapp et al.; October 2010
- Huntington's Outreach Project for Education, at Stanford; Red Wine: A Look at How Resveratrol, a Component of Red Wine, May Be Used to Treat HD; D. McGee and P. Bakhi
