研究發現 茶葉提取物或能治療癌症

Nanoparticles derived from tea leaves could be the key to a leap forward in treating lung cancer, scientists have "accidentally" discovered.
科學家近日“意外”發現，從茶葉中提取的納米顆粒可能是突破治療肺癌的關鍵所在。

The joint Swansea University and Indian team was amazed to discover the "quantum dots" they manufactured destroyed 80% of the lung cancer cells they were applied to.
英國斯旺西大學和印度團隊的聯合小組驚訝地發現，他們製出的“量子點”殺死了80%標記過的癌細胞。

Quantum dots are tiny nanoparticles. They can be made chemically, but this is complicated and expensive and has toxic side effects.
量子點是極小的納米顆粒，可用化學方法制成，但這種方法非常複雜且成本高昂，還伴有毒副作用。

The research team were therefore exploring a non-toxic plant-based alternative method of producing the dots, using tea leaf extract.
因此，該研究團隊利用茶葉提取物找到一種無毒、以植物爲基礎製造量子點的方法。

Dr Pitchaimuthu, lead researcher on the project, said harnessing the quantum dots effect into a usable treatment on humans could still be some years off.
項目牽頭人Pichaimuthu博士表示，將量子點效應用於人體臨牀治療可能仍需幾年時間。

"We hope to start live laboratory trials shortly, with human clinical trials following in around two years if all goes well, so perhaps in a decade we could have a widely-available treatment," he said.
他表示：“我們希望能馬上開始進行活體實驗室試驗，若一切順利，約兩年後將進行人體臨牀試驗，這樣也許十年內人們即可獲得廣泛治療。”