Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor - VEGF

A New Path for Treating Cancer?
Scientists have reported in the FASEB Journal, vol. 16, #9, 2002*, on how a tumor-building substance within us is signaled by certain factors. What's fascinating is that it is not very difficult to reduce these factors and so play havoc among tumor cells.

The substance is VEGF**, and they report that platelet-derived growth factor 'PAF] is one of them. Guess what? PAF is inhibited by aspirin! Another mentioned is epidermal growth factor. An additional surprising fact is that epidermal growth factor is inhibited indirectly by genistein--in soy beans. Whether in patients aspirin and soy beans would actually stop cancer cells in their tracks has yet to be proven. However, even if it were, would drug companies producing chemotherapy drugs impede their use? One wonders. And if they don't or can't, would you hear about it on television? Hardly. The subject is complicated and the research for the story would take a lot of work. That is even a bigger hurdle to their reporting on it for a complaisant and sedentary media.

*FASEB is an umbrella organization for Immunologists, Physiologists, Molecular Biologists, Nutritionists, etc. Drs. Stacker, Baldwin and Ames, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Victoria 3050, Australia, did the report.

**Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor.

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