Novel anti tumor aromatherapy for advanced/recurrent breast cancer

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K08652
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 55010:General surgery and pediatric surgery-related
• Research Institution: Toho University
• Principal Investigator: Nagata Takuya 東邦大学, 医学部, 准教授 (40303242)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 田中 京子 東邦大学, 医学部, 教授 (10286536) ; 岡本 康 東邦大学, 医学部, 臨床教授 (80213990)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: レモンマートル / レモングラス / リツエア / メリッサ / 抗腫瘍効果 / エッセンシャルオイル

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Research was conducted focusing on lemongrass, lemon myrtle, litsea, and melissa as essential oils that induce cell death in cancer cells. It was confirmed that the evaporated components of these essential oils exhibit a strong cell death-inducing effect on breast cancer cells. These essential oils contain a lot of citral, and evaporated citral was found to have a strong antitumor effect. Meanwhile, citral also exhibited strong cytotoxicity against normal cells, whereas lemon myrtle's cytotoxicity was slight. From the above, it became clear that lemon myrtle exhibits a strong antitumor effect against cancer cells and weak cytotoxicity against normal cells. Furthermore, in animal experiments using tumor-bearing mice, the antitumor effect of lemon myrtle was demonstrated.

Free Research Field

Oncology

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

日本人女性の部位別罹患率が第1位である乳癌は好発年齢が40歳から60歳代と若く、その対策は重要かつ緊急性を要する課題である。特に免疫染色でER/PgR/HER2が全て陰性となるトリプルネガティブ乳癌（TNBC）は、ホルモン療法が無効で再発しやすく予後不良である。本研究により、“香り（アロマ）”による癌治療と言う新しい研究成果が期待できる。