14 DAY TRIAL // In a series of experiments carried out on laboratory mice, a team of scientists successfully used green tea to have a better look at cancer tumors growing in the rodents and distinguish them from surrounding healthy tissues.
The research project, carried out by specialist Sanjay Mathur with the University of Cologne in Germany and his colleagues, is detailed in a paper published in the American Chemical Society's journal Applied Materials & Interfaces.
How green tea can help identify cancer tumors
Mind you, scientist Sanjay Mathur and his team didn't just make laboratory mice drink loads of green tea and then shove them in an MRI machine. This wouldn't have been a very sciency thing to do.
As explained in the journal Applied Materials & Interfaces, the University of Cologne researchers and their collaborators started by extracting chemical compounds known as catechins from green tea.
The catechins, described as aromatic organic compounds with antioxidant properties, were then added to iron-oxide nanoparticles. Specifically, the green tea compounds were used to coat the nanoparticles.
Finally, the scientists introduced the catechins-coated iron-oxide nanoparticles into the bodies of mice and subjected the cancer-stricken rodents to MRI scans in an attempt to catch a glimpse of their tumors.
The researchers found that, courtesy of the catechins and the nanoparticles that they planted into the animals, the MRI scans were clearer. Thus, the cancer tumors were surprisingly easy to identify.
“MRIs demonstrated that the novel imaging agents gathered in tumor cells and showed a strong contrast from surrounding non-tumor cells,” reads a report describing the experiments.
Using green tea to search for cancer in humans
University of Cologne scientist Sanjay Mathur and fellow researchers expect that the catechins that are naturally occurring in green tea can help better image cancer tumors not just in mice but also in humans.
More precisely, the specialists imagine using catechins-coated iron-oxide nanoparticles like the ones they toyed with in their experiments to determine where cancer tumors growing in people end and where healthy tissues begin.
This would make it easier for medical experts to settle on a course of treatment and for surgeons to operate on patients. The end goal is to improve the survival chances of people diagnosed with cancer.