Nigella sativa compound acts as chemosensitizer

Reasearchers from the USA-based Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute presented data at the American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting, held in San Diego, highlighting the potential benefits of thymoquinone in treating pancreatic cancer. The agent is an active component in the oil of black seeds (Nigella sativa) that has been isolated for its promise as a chemopreventative agent. Pancreatic cancer cells currently have a high degree of inherent and acquired chemoresistance to standard chemotherapy agents gemcitabine and/or oxaliplatin, making these drugs only moderately effective.

The team of scientists pre-treated pancreatic tumor cells possessing different molecular signatures (HPAC, BxPC-3, Panc-1 and MDA Panc-28, COLO 357, L3.6pl), with TQ prior to administering gemcitabine and oxaliplatin. They found that TQ significantly enhanced the chemosensitivity of the tumor cells, making the two drugs more effective in treating the cancer. TQ pre-treatment improved the effect of the drugs on promoting cancer cell death and halting tumor cell growth, they noted. Further research is currently underway at the US cancer center to better understand TQ's efficacy in future Phase I/II clinical trials.