RUTGERS SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES, NJ, USA. Many people have been fighting advanced and complex types of cancer for decades. It is one of the most dreaded diseases which have more than a hundred different types. A recent finding may be the answer to the quick eradication of cancer cells, an ingredient which can be found in extra-virgin olive oil. This compound is called oleocanthal, wherein scientists discovered that it had killed cancer cells, but are still trying to determine how it was done.

This breakthrough would be inexpensive, since extra-virgin olive oil is readily available in the market. The good aspect of the use of this compound is after administering it to cancer cells, the researchers found out that the cancer cells were eliminated within 30 minutes to an hour. Unlike undergoing chemotherapy, the healthy cells are not damaged at all.

Paul Breslin, professor of nutritional sciences in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences at Rutgers and co-author of a new study published in Molecular and Cellular Oncology, is one of the scientists leading this discovery. They found that the cancer cells were being killed by their own enzymes. The vesicles in the cancer cells were penetrated by the oleocanthal causing them to breakdown and die.

The scientists are preparing this discovery for further studies to test on live animals. This is also to better understand how oleocanthal only targets cancer cells.

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