Studying the Interaction of an Essiac Tea and Food Mutagen
Creators: name: University Of California Office Of The President
Publisher: name: University of California Office of the President
publisherIdentifier: https://ror.org/00dmfq477
publisherIdentifierScheme: ROR
Year: 2024

description: The purpose of this research is to determine if Essiac® Herbal Tea, a commercially available complementary therapy widely self-administered by breast cancer patients, has an effect on the consequences of exposure to PhIP, a ubiquitous food mutagen. Essiac®Herbal Tea is a mixture of four herbal extracts that was introduced in the 1920s to treat breast cancer and is commonly used today by breast cancer patients to supplement conventional therapy. The herbs in Essiac® have long histories of use in Asian diets and medicines and have characteristics associated with altering cancer risk. However Essiac® Herbal Tea is not the subject of any scientific reports evaluating its effect on the breast. PhIP is formed naturally in meats during the cooking process. PhIP has been shown to cause DNA damage in cells, and it causes breast tumor formation in rats. In humans, the consumption of well-done meat has been linked to increased risk of breast cancer. By studying the interaction of Essiac® and PhIP, we can evaluate a commercially available dietary supplement in a model system that is relevant to a woman’s current lifestyle choices.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 The central question addressed by this application is: "Does Essiac® Herbal Tea have protective properties that may have an effect on breast cancer risk by reducing breast cell damage caused by PhIP?" If cells or animals are given Essiac® Herbal Tea, in amounts similar to those recommended by the manufacturer, does this prevent cell DNA damage or tumor formation caused by PhIP?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Human breast cell lines and mammalian models (animal models with mammary glands) will be used to determine if Essiac® Herbal Tea can prevent PhIP carcinogenesis. Measuring the damage to DNA caused by PhIP exposure can be done using breast cells and techniques that are well-described in the scientific literature. We will then precisely measure whether Essiac® treatment reduces the amount of PhIP-caused DNA damage in breast cells. We will also investigate how the timing of exposure effects the amount of DNA damage; that is, if consuming Essiac® before, during or after PhIP exposure changes how much damage is caused. Mammary tumor development will be studied in rats that have been treated with PhIP to cause tumors. The animal models are well-described and their use in tumor studies is well-accepted by the scientific community. In this proposed study, we will compare the effect of Essiac® on the time it takes tumors to appear, the number of animals with tumors, the average number of tumors per animal, and how the timing of Essiac® exposure changes these outcomes. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 This proposal is unique because it will rigorously test Essiac® Herbal Tea for its effect on a carcinogen that women may be exposed to in their daily diets. No peer-reviewed studies have been published that describe the effect of Essiac® on the breast or other organ systems. If we find that Essiac® alters DNA damage or tumor formation caused by PhIP, studies will need to be done to determine how Essiac® Herbal Tea works, what effects it has on the body, and if there are herbal-drug interactions. Given the wide-spread use of Essiac®, these studies are urgently needed to begin developing science-based recommendations for use of this complementary and alternative medicine among Californians.