The link between Natick Labs, cancer and green tea
5/7/2006 Milford, MA Jon Brodkin Milford Daily News (www.milfordailynews.com) When Natick Labs chemist Ferdinando Bruno began researching potential uses for a component found in green tea, his goal was simple: build an efficient and light plastic battery to power equipment used on the battlefield. Bruno never dreamed he would instead find a new cancer treatment that may heal patients without the painful side effects associated with most forms of chemotherapy. His discovery, which is being pursued at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell with collaboration from U.S. Army scientists from Natick Labs, is showing promise in treating colorectal cancer and cancer of the breast, head, and neck. The treatment, researchers say, is an example of "green chemistry" because it produces none of the toxic waste associated with other chemotherapy drugs. "It’s very surprising that the drug works on these four diverse cancer types," said Susan Braunhut, a cancer biologist at UMass-Lowell. The chemotherapy drug is a long way from the market, as researchers have not yet begun testing it on animals. Tests on human cell lines have shown remarkable effectiveness killing cancer cells while appearing to do no harm to healthy cells, Braunhut said. The project began around 2000 when Bruno tried to use catechin, a component of green tea, to replace certain parts of disposable batteries. When used individually, the catechins, or building blocks, are vulnerable and easily degrade, Braunhut said. Bruno, however, joined them together in a novel way, using enzymes, to make them more stable and active. [...]