Mayo Clinic writes that prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer which occurs in men. Prostate cancer generally grows slowly and initially remains confined to the prostate gland, where it may not cause serious harm. Although some types of prostate cancer grow slowly and may need minimal or no treatment, other types of prostate cancer are aggressive and can spread quickly. In a news release on March 19, 2013, The University of Maryland Medical Center has reported, Cod-derived agent shows potential as dietary therapy to complement standard treatments for prostate cancer.
A peptide, or protein, which is derived from Pacific cod, that may inhibit prostate cancer and possibly other cancers, from spreading, has been identified by researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Dr. Hafiz Ahmed, has said, “The use of natural dietary products with anti-tumor activity is an important and emerging field of research. Understanding how these products work could allow us to develop foods that also act as cancer therapeutics and agents for immunotherapy.”
The majority of people who succumb to cancer die due to tumor cells which invade the surrounding tissue and migrate into the nearby blood and lymph vessels, which is a process known as metastasis. For example, prostate cancer often spreads to the bones, lungs and liver. Cancer cells which metastasize to other parts of the body grow new blood supplies and eventually they overcome the person’s organ systems.
Dr. Ahmed has said, “This study is among the first to explore the therapeutic utility of a bioactive cod TFD-containing glycopeptide to inhibit prostate cancer from progressing.” Polar fish, such as the northern cod, express glycoproteins which are rich in the TFD antigen, which protect them from freezing. Dr. E. Albert Reece has commented, “This research breaks new ground in our ongoing quest to discover new ways to prevent cancers from metastasizing to distant parts of the body.”
