Modified Citrus Pectin (MCP) is an altered form of pectin with shorter carbohydrate chains and is claimed to be better absorbed by the body. Preclinical studies suggest inhibitory effects with pectin in the colon, breast, liver, and lung cancer cell lines.[1]
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is aggressive breast cancer with a poorer prognosis than other types of breast cancer due to limited therapeutic targets and a high risk of metastatic recurrence.
A modified polysaccharide is derived from citrus fruit peel that has shown antimetastatic properties in many cancers, including breast cancer. MCP is thought to reduce metastatic potential by inhibiting galectin-3, blocking the “loss of anchorage” phase of metastasis (anoikis). Here we assessed the proliferation and migration of two breast cancer lines: MCF-7, a hormone-receptor-positive line, and HCC1806, a TNBC line, with and without MCP using an impedance-based scratch assay. Migration represents a critical factor in the metastatic cascade and a proxy for metastatic potential.
Impedance-based assays offer a sensitive, label-free, and non-destructive method to monitor cancer cells in real-time continuously, allowing assessment of both the kinetics and degree of migration after scratch.[2]
Radiotherapy is one of the primary therapies for localized prostatic carcinoma. Therefore, there is an emerging need to sensitize prostate cancer cells to chemotherapy/radiotherapy. Modified citrus pectin (MCP) is an effective inhibitor of galectin-3 (Gal-3), correlated with tumour progression, proliferation, angiogenesis, and apoptosis.
Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most diagnosed noncutaneous malignancy and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men after lung and colorectal cancer.1 The PCa disease varies from a dormant localized state to a highly invasive tumour that metastasizes preferentially to bones like other epithelial cancers such as breast and lung cancers. Conventional treatment modalities for PCa are radiotherapy, radical prostatectomy, androgen deprivation, and chemotherapy. Ionizing radiation (IR) damages tumour cells’ DNA directly by single and double-strand breaks or indirectly by reactive oxygen species (ROS), which causes injury to biomolecules, including DNA.2 A significant obstacle to IR therapy is that a maximum amount of radiation can be safely administered. Despite IR advances in delivery technology, the rate of biochemical relapse/clinical recurrence for a considerable number of PCa patients who have undergone IR therapy, unfortunately, remains high. Understanding the mechanisms of radioresistance will help overcome recurrence after IR therapy in PCa patients and prevent metastasis. Combining radiotherapy with radiosensitizing agents could offer a way to enhance toxicity selectively and overcome radioresistance.
Modified citrus pectin (MCP) is a soluble polysaccharide fibre dietary supplement produced from enzymatically hydrolyzed citrus
pectin. It has GRAS (generally regarded as safe) designation from the US Food and Drug Administration (Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21, Volume 3, 21, CFR184.1588).7 MCP has shown to exhibit antineoplastic properties in various laboratory models: it inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis of human and mouse PCa cells,8 decreased invasive behaviour of human prostate and breast cancer cells, nine and inhibited liver metastasis in an animal colon cancer model.
Modified citrus pectin is thought to be helpful in the prevention and treatment of metastatic cancer, especially in solid tumours like melanoma and cancers of the prostate, colon, and breast. Scientists believe that MCP works by inhibiting two key processes involved in cancer progression: angiogenesis and metastasis.
Angiogenesis is the process in which cancer cells establish their
blood supply to fuel their growth. Metastasis occurs when cancer cells break away from the original tumour, enter the bloodstream or lymphatic system, and form a new tumour in a different organ or other parts0 of the body.8 Secondary or metastatic cancers often pose more life-threatening circumstances than the original tumour. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is aggressive breast cancer with a poorer prognosis than other types of breast cancer due to limited therapeutic targets and a high risk of metastatic recurrence.
What do You Need to Know: Modified Citrus Pectin?
- Pectin is a complex carbohydrate that is abundantly present in citrus fruits. Modified citrus pectin (MCP) is composed of short, non-branched carbohydrate chains derived from the peel and pulp of citrus fruits.
- Compelling research suggests that modified citrus pectin may help block the growth and metastasis of solid tumours such as breast, colon, and prostate cancers
- Intriguing clinical studies suggest that supplementation with MCP stabilizes disease progression and lengthens PSA doubling times in men with prostate cancer.
- Modified citrus pectin may represent a safe, non-toxic d of toxic chelating metals without the need for intravenous infusions.
- Supplementation with MCP has been shown to increase the excretion of dangerous metals such as mercury, arsenic, lead, and cadmium without removing essential minerals like calcium, magnesium, and zinc from the body.
- A clinical study showed that supplementation with an MCP-alginate complex reduced total body toxic heavy metal burden in patients with various health concerns.
- MCP is considered safe and well-tolerated. Dosages range from 6 to 30 grams per day in divided dosages; a typical dose is 5 grams three times daily.[3]
