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When looking at studies like this one it is important to identify what kind of study it is and what the people carrying out the study were trying to do.
The opening sentences say:
..... it is critical to identify agents that induce death of both androgen-responsive and androgen-insensitive cells. Here we demonstrate that a product of plant cell walls, pectin, is capable of inducing apoptosis in androgen-responsive (LNCaP) and androgen-independent (LNCaP C4-2) human prostate cancer cells.
and the closing sentence says:
These findings provide the foundation for mechanistic studies of pectin apoptotic activity and a basis for the development of pectin-based pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, or recommended diet changes aimed at combating prostate cancer occurrence and progression.
The question raised in my mind is: "Was the study intended to get funding to develop pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals?"
What did the study actually do or show?
Commercially available fractionated pectin powder (FPP) induced apoptosis (approximately 40-fold above non-treated cells) in both cell lines as determined by the Apoptosense assay and activation of caspase-3 and its substrate, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase.
This reference to cell lines implies to me that this was a study of artificially produced cancer cells in petri dishes. The chances of such experiments being of any use to fight cancer cells in humans is remote, and this study does not demonstrate proof that it will.
Conversely, citrus pectin (CP) and the pH-modified CP, PectaSol, had little or no apoptotic activity. Glycosyl residue composition and linkage analyses revealed no significant differences among the pectins.
Apparently citrus pectins don't work anyway.
It is lways as well to look for evidence to support claims made by anyone taking your money - and not to just rely on their honesty and goodwill.
Thanks for the insight, I like alot of men on this forum are looking for some miracle cure for the cancer cells that is not invasive, so I can be easily lead to think this is good stuff based on some professionals advice without real founded evidence!
