Pomegranate Extract for Prostate Cancer PSA Doubling Time
Solution Overview
Problem
Current treatments for prostate cancer, such as surgery and radiation therapy, often result in increased prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, indicating potential cancer aggressiveness and poor outcomes, with no established effective treatment using pomegranate extracts in human patients.
Innovation Solution
Administering a therapeutically effective amount of pomegranate fruit extract, including juice, inner or outer peel extracts, or their combinations, to patients with rising PSA levels post-surgery or radiation therapy, demonstrating anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects on prostate cancer cells.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If surgery or radiation therapy is used to treat localized prostate cancer, then cancer is treated, but PSA level increases indicating cancer aggressiveness and poor outcomes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies this principle by using pomegranate extract to convert the harmful effect of rising PSA levels (indicating cancer aggressiveness) into a beneficial outcome. The extract inhibits cancer cell proliferation and induces apoptosis, thereby slowing disease progression and improving patient outcomes despite the initial harmful PSA increase post-treatment
2Duration of action of moving object
If pomegranate extract is administered to slow disease progression, then PSA doubling time increases, but the extract must be therapeutically effective which requires sufficient dosage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies this principle by optimizing the concentration and composition of pomegranate extract to achieve therapeutically effective dosages. The extract contains specific polyphenolic compounds at optimized concentrations that maximize PSA doubling time while maintaining feasibility for human administration
Data Source
AI summary
A method of increasing a prostate specific antigen (PSA) doubling time in treating a patient. A subject with rising serum PSA is selected. A composition is administered to the subject comprising a therapeutically effective amount of a pomegranate extract comprising a higher content of high molecular weight polyphenol compared to pomegranate juice from arils. The therapeutically effective amount increases a prostate specific antigen doubling time. The pomegranate extract is formed from an insoluble byproduct component obtained by placing pomegranate solids in an aqueous solution, heating the aqueous solution to between about 60° F. to about 210° F., adding at least one enzyme to the aqueous solution, and removing residual insoluble solid materials from the aqueous solution.