Limonene Plant Extract Proves Effective Against Cancer, Study Finds
Oral Limonene Combined with Lovastatin Anti-Cholesterol Drug Found to Reduce Tumors in Patients
Long Beach, Calif, -- November 18, 1998 -- A study published in the November 16th issue of the Journal of Medicinal Food (Volume 1, Number 2; Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.) reports that oral limonene in combination with the anti-cholesterol drug lovastatin has been found to inhibit the growth of cancer. Research suggests that when combined, these two substances can be effective against many forms of cancer.
The study was conducted by Robert Nagourney, M.D., medical director of Rational Therapeutics™ (Long Beach, Calif.) and clinical professor at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine. Dr. Nagourney's research team found that limonene and lovastatin work in concert to inhibit a key protein that facilitates the growth of cancer cells.
"We are increasingly able to target treatment specifically to cancer cells," said Dr. Nagourney. "By using two different drugs which attack only those cells with a cancerous mutation, we have come upon a treatment that is both selective for cancer and free of toxic side effects."
Patients participating in the study were heavily pre-treated for advanced stage cancers. Of the nine patients who were treated for prostate, ovarian or breast cancer, six had failed prior chemotherapy and were deemed drug resistant. The prognosis for these types of patients is generally poor, with survival time measured in weeks to months.
Eight of the nine patients completed at least one of month of therapy. Of the eight, two experienced durable objective responses. "These two patients were able to resume functional life for a meaningful period of time," said Dr. Nagourney. In every patient, the only side effect observed was mild indigestion, which was controlled by taking the limonene capsules with food.
Oral limonene is a natural substance which is generally regarded as safe (GRAS). Previous studies have found that by itself, limonene appears to have very limited anti-tumor effect. However, when Dr. Nagourney's research team combined it with lovastatin, the combination appeared to be effective in selectively targeting cancer cells.
Unlike conventional chemotherapy which attacks both cancerous and non-cancerous cells, the limonene/lovastatin combination appears to target the growth-stimulating gene RAS. This selective targeting is conceptually analogous to the targeting achieved with agents such as herceptin, which targets cells positive for her-2 or tamoxifen, which targets cells positive for estrogen receptors. Herceptin and tamoxifen have received much recent attention for their effectiveness in fighting breast cancer.
Rational Therapeutics™ is a pioneering cancer research center specializing in new treatment protocols and individualized therapy. Its research laboratory is located at 3601 Elm Avenue, Long Beach, Calif., 90807, Tel.(562) 989-6455; Fax (562) 989-6454; www.rationaltherapeutics.com.
Note to editors: To receive a copy of the published study, please call Erik Deutsch at Tellem, Inc. (323) 935-1725.
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