A complex natural sugar called heparin can block tumour growth in mice, says a study in the journal Clinical Cancer Research.

The findings suggest that it may be possible to develop a sugar-based treatment to stop the growth of tumours before they become dangerous, BBC News reported.

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This study by an Association for International Cancer Research team found that sugar molecules inhibit hormones that tumours send out in order to promote the growth of new blood vessels, which the tumours need in order to continue growing.

In this study, the sugar molecules were divided and purified before they were injected into mice with tumours.

This approach is only effective if cancer is diagnosed at an early stage and does not cause tumours to shrink. However, it may prove an effective treatment when it's combined with other cancer therapies, the researchers said. – (HealthDayNews)

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November 2005
 

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