Saccharin derivatives give cancer cells a not-so-sweet surprise

(American Chemical Society) Saccharin received a bad rap after studies in the 1970s linked consumption of large amounts of the artificial sweetener to bladder cancer in laboratory rats. Later, research revealed that these findings were not relevant to people. And in a complete turnabout, recent studies indicate that saccharin can actually kill human cancer cells. Now, researchers reporting in ACS' Journal of Medicinal Chemistry have made artificial sweetener derivatives that show improved activity against two tumor-associated enzymes.
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news