A compound found in grape skins and seeds might hold the key to reducing chemotherapy doses while increasing their effectiveness. Scientists have discovered that oleanolic acid, extracted from wine production waste, can enhance the cancer-fighting properties of a common chemotherapy drug – potentially leading to more tolerable treatments for patients.
The breakthrough comes from an unlikely source: the leftover pulp from wine production, known as pomace. Researchers at Temple University’s Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, working with colleagues in Italy, found that combining oleanolic acid with the chemotherapy drug camptothecin made the treatment more effective at lower doses.
“This is an important discovery for our group, highlighting the potential of natural extracts as a source of molecules for cancer therapy,” says Dr. Luigi Alfano from the Istituto Nazionale Tumori Fondazione Pascale in Naples, who led the research.
The finding could be particularly significant for cancer patients struggling with harsh chemotherapy side effects. “Use of oleanolic acid may allow us to reduce the camptothecin drug concentration needed to get the desired anti-cancer result,” explains Professor Antonio Giordano, director of the Sbarro Institute. “Lower doses of chemotherapy suggests the possibility of reducing the side effects associated with cancer treatment, making the experience more tolerable for patients.”
The study, published last week in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, reveals how oleanolic acid works at the molecular level. Rather than directly killing cancer cells, it changes how cells repair DNA damage caused by chemotherapy. This shift makes the cancer cells more vulnerable to treatment.
What makes this discovery particularly intriguing is that oleanolic acid itself appears harmless to cells at the concentrations used in the study. It only becomes powerful when combined with chemotherapy, acting like a multiplier for the cancer-fighting effects.
The research team identified the compound using nuclear magnetic resonance imaging to analyze grape pomace extract, particularly from Aglianico grapes used in Italian winemaking. Beyond just finding the compound, they unraveled exactly how it works – it pushes cancer cells to use a more error-prone DNA repair mechanism when trying to fix damage from chemotherapy.
This isn’t the first success for this research group. The team has previously made breakthroughs in understanding how compounds like capsaicin (found in chili peppers) might enhance cancer treatment, and they’ve identified genetic targets for treating brain tumors.
The research continues a growing trend of finding medical applications for what was once considered waste material from food production. Wine pomace, typically discarded after pressing, might now find a second life in cancer treatment labs.
For now, the findings are limited to laboratory studies on cancer cells, and much more research will be needed before this could become a treatment option for patients. However, the discovery opens up new possibilities for making cancer treatments more effective while potentially reducing their burden on patients.
The research was conducted as part of a collaboration between Temple University’s Sbarro Institute and several Italian research institutions, including the University of Naples Federico II and the Istituto Nazionale Tumori Fondazione Pascale.