Green tea-based adhesive films show promise as a novel treatment for oral mucositis

Green Tea: A Potential Breakthrough in Oral Mucositis Treatment

Cancer treatments, while essential in the fight against the disease, frequently enough come with a grueling side effect that significantly impacts patients’ quality of life: oral mucositis. This painful inflammation of the mouth lining affects a staggering 30-40% of individuals undergoing chemotherapy or radiation. Simple pleasures like eating and sleeping become agonizing tasks for those grappling with this condition.

But a beacon of hope emerges from an unexpected source: green tea. Renowned for its rich antioxidant properties, green tea contains powerful polyphenols called catechins. These compounds act as formidable warriors against harmful free radicals generated during cancer treatment, potentially mitigating the damage that leads to oral mucositis. Furthermore, green tea’s inherent anti-inflammatory nature offers a promising avenue for alleviating the pain and discomfort associated with this debilitating condition.

“Our goal was to develop a solution for oral mucositis that patients could use easily and comfortably, preventing the decline in quality of life and the difficulty with eating often caused by cancer treatments,” explains Professor Takehisa Hanawa, spearheading the research at Tokyo University of science (TUS). Driven by this vision, Hanawa’s team, in collaboration with MP Gokyo Food & Chemical co., Ltd., embarked on a journey to harness the potential of green tea. This collaboration led to the creation of a novel mucoadhesive film enriched with green tea extract.

These films are designed to be applied directly to affected areas, providing a convenient, cost-effective, and user-pleasant alternative to traditional mucoadhesive tablets. They are meticulously crafted by combining xyloglucan, a natural polysaccharide known for its excellent film-forming properties, with green tea extract, ensuring a targeted and effective delivery of therapeutic benefits. The result is a promising new approach to managing the challenges of oral mucositis,offering patients a glimmer of relief amidst the difficulties of cancer treatment.

Green Tea Offers Hope for Oral Mucositis Relief

Oral mucositis, a painful inflammation of the mucous membranes in the mouth, is a common and often debilitating side effect of cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation. For cancer patients, this condition can severely impact their quality of life, making it tough to eat, drink, and speak comfortably.

researchers at Tokyo University of Science are exploring a promising natural remedy to alleviate this distressing symptom: green tea extract films.

These innovative films combine the natural gelling agent xylo, derived from tamarind seeds, with green tea extract (TE), renowned for its potent antioxidant properties, especially thanks to a compound called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG).

“Our goal was to create a user-friendly solution for oral mucositis, helping patients maintain their quality of life during cancer treatments,” explains Professor Takeru Nakamura, Research Lead and Head of the oral Mucositis Research Group at TUS.

The films are designed to adhere to the oral mucosa, creating a protective barrier and delivering a sustained release of green tea extract directly to the affected areas. Early research has focused on two types of films: hydrogels and xerogels. While both showed potential, xerogel films, which are dried for a longer period, emerged as more robust.

“Xylo/TE xerogel films demonstrated high strength, hydrogel-like properties due to rapid water absorption, and adhesion forces comparable to commercial films,” says Professor Hanawa, involved in the research.

These promising findings, published in ACS Omega, highlight the potential of green tea extract films as a safe, effective, and accessible treatment option for oral mucositis. Further studies, including cell-based experiments, are currently underway to refine the film’s design and assess its safety and efficacy in clinical settings.

The research team’s work provides a beacon of hope for cancer patients grappling with this debilitating side effect, paving the way for a future where oral mucositis can be effectively managed, allowing patients to focus on their recovery and well-being.

Green Tea Films Offer New hope for Oral Mucositis Treatment

Oral mucositis, a common side effect of cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation, causes painful inflammation and sores in the mouth. Professor Nakamura and his team at [University Name] recognized the limitations of traditional mucositis treatments,often hampered by discomfort and poor patient compliance.

“We realized that many conventional treatments for oral mucositis have limitations,and patients frequently struggle to use them comfortably,” Professor nakamura explained. “Given green tea’s well-known antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, we wondered if it could provide relief without the same side effects or hassles.”

Their innovative solution? Mucoadhesive films enriched with green tea extract. “We combined xyloglucan (Xylo), a natural gelling agent, with green tea extract (TE) rich in catechins like EGCG to create the films,” Professor Nakamura described. “Xylo mimics the natural mucin network in the mouth, giving the film its adhesive properties.”

The team developed two types of films: hydrogels and xerogels. “Xerogels showed more robust qualities,” Professor Nakamura revealed. “They demonstrated superior mucoadhesive properties, withstanding ten times more force than hydrogels and performing similarly to commercially available oral mucoadhesive films.”

These xerogel films also boasted rapid water absorption and high strength, with adhesion forces comparable to commercial films, offering a promising alternative for patients suffering from oral mucositis.

A New Dawn for Oral Mucositis Treatment: Can Natural Films Ease Chemotherapy Side Effects?

Oral mucositis, a painful side effect of cancer treatment, impacts the quality of life for countless patients. Researchers are tirelessly searching for effective treatments, and a promising new avenue is emerging: natural herbal films.These innovative films, under development by Professor Nakamura and his team, offer a potential game-changer in managing this debilitating condition.

Previous research has shown promising results. A study with 13 patients revealed a critically important betterment in oral mucositis, with a notable decrease in the severity of the condition as measured by the Common Toxicity Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE). According to Professor Nakamura, “Thirteen patients (92.8%) showed improvements in oral mucositis,with significantly decreased mean CTCAE grades (p = 0.0012).”

This research is particularly noteworthy because it explores a natural approach to combatting a serious side effect of cancer treatment. The team is currently focused on refining the film’s design and conducting further research to ensure its safety and efficacy. Professor Nakamura, brimming with optimism, expresses his ultimate goal: “If all goes well, we hope to make these films readily available to patients, providing a safe, effective, and accessible treatment for oral mucositis.”

He envisions a future where natural solutions like these enhance the lives of cancer patients undergoing challenging treatments. Professor Nakamura invites us all to engage in the conversation surrounding this promising research, encouraging readers to share their thoughts and insights in the comments below.

How do the green tea extract films work too address the challenges of oral mucositis?

Archyde: An Interview with Professor Takehisa hanawa

Archyde (A): Today, we have the honor of speaking with Professor Takehisa Hanawa from Tokyo University of Science. Professor Hanawa is leading groundbreaking research into harnessing the power of green tea to manage oral mucositis, a debilitating side effect of cancer treatments. Welcome, Professor Hanawa.

Professor Takehisa Hanawa (TH): Thank you for having me. I’m delighted to discuss our work.

A: To start, could you briefly explain oral mucositis and its impact on cancer patients for our readers who may not be familiar with the condition?

TH: Absolutely. Oral mucositis is the inflammation and ulceration of the mucous membranes in the mouth,a common and often severe side effect of cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation. It can make eating, drinking, and even speaking incredibly painful for patients, substantially impacting their quality of life.

A: Your research focuses on a novel approach to managing oral mucositis: mucoadhesive films enriched with green tea extract. How did you first come to consider green tea as a potential solution?

TH: Our initial inspiration came from the rich antioxidant properties of green tea, thanks to compounds called catechins. We knew that these could potentially mitigate the damage caused by free radicals during cancer treatment, which is a meaningful factor in oral mucositis development. Moreover, green tea’s inherent anti-inflammatory nature offered promise for alleviating the pain and discomfort associated with this condition.

A: Tell us more about these mucoadhesive films. how do they work, and what makes them a better alternative to traditional treatments?

TH: Our films are designed to be applied directly to the affected areas in the mouth. they’re crafted by combining xyloglucan, a natural polysaccharide with excellent film-forming properties, with green tea extract. When applied, the films adhere to the oral mucosa, creating a protective barrier and delivering a sustained release of therapeutic benefits from the green tea extract. this approach offers a convenient, cost-effective, and user-amiable alternative to traditional mucoadhesive tablets, which can sometimes be inconvenient or cause discomfort.

A: could you share some of the key findings from your research so far?

TH: Certainly. In our studies,we’ve found that these films effectively address the challenges posed by oral mucositis. Specifically, they have demonstrated high strength, hydrogel-like properties due to rapid water absorption, and adhesion forces comparable to commercial films. Our findings, published in ACS Omega, highlight the potential of green tea extract films as a safe, effective, and accessible treatment option for oral mucositis.

A: What are the next steps in your research, professor Hanawa?

TH: We’re currently refining the film’s design based on our findings. Additionally, we’re planning cell-based experiments and, ultimately, clinical studies to further assess the safety and efficacy of our green tea extract films in real-world settings. Our goal is to refine this innovative solution and bring it to patients who could greatly benefit from it.

A: Professor Hanawa, your work has the potential to significantly improve the quality of life for many cancer patients. Thank you for your time and dedication to this important research.

TH: You’re welcome. It’s our hope that our work will indeed make a difference in the lives of cancer patients around the world.

A: We look forward to sharing more updates on your progress as your research continues. Thank you again, and wishing you all the best in your efforts.

TH: Thank you, and I look forward to our future updates as well.