Goal now: Fine-tune it Scientists at Johns Hopkins and Tsukuba
University in Japan have confirmed the existence of a long-
suspected natural system the body uses to block the cancer-
causing effects of toxic chemicals in food and the environment.
The system hinges on a sharp boost in protective enzymes, called
phase II enzymes, which can dispose of toxic chemicals. The
enzymes effectively neutralize toxins' ability to damage DNA and
trigger cancer, the researchers say. In two studies appearing in
the current Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
they've not only demonstrated the fundamental workings of the
system, but have also pinpointed the key "switch" that regulates
it. "We've gained long-awaited proof of a basic mechanism that
can reduce the risk of cancer," says molecular pharmacologist
and team member Paul Talalay, M.D. Scientists already know that
natural substances in plants, such as the sulforaphane in
broccoli, as well as some man-made chemicals, can tap into this
system that they're someh