COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) - Researchers at the University of Missouri say they've identified an extract found in celery and other produce as a potential weapon against breast cancer.
The research was recently published online in the journal Hormones and Cancer.
The study found that cancerous tumors shrank in mice that were implanted with breast cancer cells and treated with the extract, called apigenin. Some of the mice were also treated with a synthetic hormone given to menopausal women that has been shown to increase the risk of breast cancer.
Salman Hyder, a professor of biomedical sciences at the university, says the next step is to pursue human clinical trials with apigenin. The extract is also found in parsley and some spices.