Potatoes for Targeting Colon Cancer Stem Cells

Colon cancer kills over 600,000 people annually worldwide. Unfortunately, current colon cancer prevention strategies like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g., aspirin) can lead to serious adverse side effects such as intestinal bleeding. However, fruit and vegetable consumption has been associated with up to a 40% decrease in colon cancer risk. The benefits of a diet high in fruits and vegetables could be partly attributed to the bioactive components such as the fiber, resistant starch and polyphenolics present in them. Given that cancer incidence is expected to rise by about 70% over the next two decades, there is a critical need to develop staple foods that fight colon cancer. We recently reported that colored flesh potatoes that contain both resistant starch and polyphenols can target cancer stem cells. Thus, there is an opportunity to develop a staple food crop approach to targeting the growing epidemic of cancer globally.