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Rice could boost cancer-fighting cells

Two domestic rice breeds might help immune cells fight cancer, according to a two-year study funded by the Council of Agriculture.

The research team was led by Chen Yu-jen (陳裕仁), an oncologist at Mackay Memorial Hospital, and Liao Hui-fen (廖慧芬), an assistant professor in the department of molecular biology and biochemistry at National Chiayi University.

The study was the first to compare and contrast the effect of domestic rice and imported rice on cell immunity against cancer.

The research tested the abstracts of nine rice breeds -- seven local strains, one Australian and one Canadian wild rice breed.

The research findings were published in the latest volume of an international science journal, Food and Chemical Toxicology.

Abstracts of two of the local samples were found to be able to activate immune cells' ability to kill tumor cells, Chen was quoted as saying by Chinese-language China Times yesterday.

After being stimulated by the abstracts for five days, the ability of the immune cells to kill tumor cells rose by 30 percent, Chen said. He said the immune cells also appeared to be more active after the experiment, releasing more interferon and tumor necrosis factor.

In a telephone interview, Liao said that after creating more interferon, the immune cells activated by the two rice abstracts were even able to fight two to three kinds of leukemia cells.

She said the research showed that domestic strains of rice are more effective in helping immune cells fight tumor cells compared to imported rice. Chen said the research team wants to determine what advantages Taiwanese rice has and encourage people to choose local rice over imports.

Liao said the team will now test its findings through clinical trials on animals and humans.

In related developments, the Council of Agriculture said the average person in Taiwan now consumes 48.56kg of rice per year, 11kg less than was consumed a decade ago.
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