Chemotherapy plus natural extract castalin improves cancer drug effectiveness, study finds

Scientists have identified a natural extract that could help boost the effectiveness of cancer drugs. The insights gained from their study may help formulate new combination drug therapies, using precision medicine to target and cure cancer and improve patient outcomes.

In a joint research effort between the Pascale Foundation in Naples and the Sbarro Institute in Philadelphia, scientists have identified and described the role of castalin, a natural molecule found in chestnut by-products. Castalin acts as a powerful inducer of oxygen radicals, leading to DNA damage.

Their findings are published in the journal Antioxidants, titled “Castalin Induces ROS Production, Leading to DNA Damage and Increasing the Activity of CHK1 Inhibitor in Cancer Cell Lines.”

The team demonstrated that castalin can boost the effectiveness of CHK1 inhibitors, a class of drugs currently in phase 1 clinical trials. When tested in cellular models of triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease, castalin was shown to enhance the action of these inhibitors.

The results suggest that castalin could help reduce the side effects of cancer therapies, as explained by Dr. Margherita D’Angelo, University of Vanvitelli, Naples, and Dr. Annamaria Medugno, University of Siena, the study’s first authors.

“This discovery is part of a larger project focused on identifying new natural molecules that can be used in cancer treatment,” says Dr. Luigi Alfano, head of the research group behind the study, who collaborated with Prof. Forino and Prof. Frusciante from the Department of Agriculture at Federico II University of Naples.

According to Prof. Antonio Giordano, director of the Sbarro Institute, “This breakthrough opens new possibilities in the fight against cancer and shows how our idea of turning to nature as a source of new molecules is truly paying off.”

The implications are especially promising for triple-negative breast cancer.

“Our next goal is to explore the potential clinical applications of castalin in breast cancer, both as a stand-alone treatment and in combination with the latest chemotherapy drugs,” adds Prof. Michelino de Laurentiis, director of the Thoracic and Pulmonary Department at the Pascale Cancer Institute in Naples

Provided by
Sbarro Health Research Organization (SHRO)