Red Wine, Anyone?

A story about this study ran last month in an Online newsletter called The Myeloma Beacon. Multiple myeloma is a cancer of the bone marrow. It does not usually cause solid tumors. Resveratrol is currently being studied for it's cancer prevention properties and positive effects on solid tumors, so these positive results with resveratrol destroying myeloma cancer cells is an exciting development:

University of Texas scientists showed that resveratrol suppressed the genes that protect myeloma cells from dying. In experiments, resveratrol killed myeloma cells that were resistant to chemotherapy and enhanced the effects of Velcade (bortezomib) and thalidomide (Thalomid). The scientists published their study in the journal Blood (abstract) in December 2006.
Scientists at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China, showed that resveratrol suppresses proteins that myeloma cells need to grow quickly. However, they found that the doses they used were much higher than the levels found in people after drinking red wine or even eating pure resveratrol. They suggested further studies look at applying resveratrol directly to tumors. The journal Acta Pharmacologica Sinica (abstract) published their results in November 2006.
A study done at the Vejle Hospital in Denmark supported findings that resveratrol enhances myeloma cell death. Additionally, the Vejle scientists showed that resveratrol healed bones. It inhibited the cells that break down bone and worked with vitamin D to build new bone. The study appeared in the journal Cancer Research in November 2005.
All the studies suggested that resveratrol is relatively safe. It often causes fewer side effects than the chemotherapy drugs commonly used today. Resveratrol is an “ideal molecule” for chemotherapy, wrote scientists in a review published in the Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics (abstract) in January.

Drinking red wine is thought to help prevent a number of cancers. Could it work to help slow down myeloma as well? Stay tuned!
Feel good (but not too good!)but don't drive if and when you initiate your own resveratrol study! Guess I won't have to remind you to keep smiling! Pat