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Addresses course outcomes 1 and 4:<\/p>\n
Before attempting this assignment, you might want to revisit the Scientific Method Tutorial in the Science Learning Center under the Course Content area.<\/p>\n
Substance in Green Tea Inhibits Inflammatory Breast Cancer Cells<\/p>\n
Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a rare and often fatal form of breast cancer. In IBC, lymphatic vessels in the skin are blocked causing the breasts to appear swollen and red. Early in the disease process, patients with IBC usually do not have the classic \u201clump\u201d in their breast; therefore the disease is frequently diagnosed at later stages. Diagnosis is often so delayed that the cancer has metastasized and patient prognosis is poor.<\/p>\n
The underlying cause of IBC is unknown, but it is believed that like with other cancers cetain cell types have the abililty to transform into cells that can form malignant tumors. These aberrant cells are considered cancer stem cells, and populations of cancer stem cells have been identified in IBC.<\/p>\n
In a recent, study researchers evaluated whether a metabolite found in green tea could inhibit the growth of certain stem cell types that have been identified in the breast tissue of patients with IBC. In this study, two IBC stem cell types, SUM-149 and SUM-190, were exposed epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG- is a potent antioxidant found in green tea). Results from the study showed that EGCG treatment inhibited the growth, spread, and survival of the two stem cell types.<\/p>\n