The resin of the Boswellia serrata tree, a anti-inflammatory staple in Ayurvedic medicine, is now showing promise as a colorectal cancer tumor inhibitor, according to research being carried out by Dr. Ajay Goel, director of epigenetics and cancer prevention at Baylor Research Institute in Dallas, TX. Dr. Goel and his team have been studying boswellia and its impact on colorectal cancer for the past three years and recently announced that they have “multiple lines of encouraging evidence that suggests that in addition to its anti-inflammatory activities, boswellia is an important modulator of epigenetics in colorectal cancer, and very likely other human cancers as well.”
 
Dr. Goel’s work explored the ability of high-AKBA (acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic acid) boswellia extract to inhibit tumor growth in colorectal cells. This research established that boswellia extract induces DNA demethylation, potentially preventing aberrant cell division. It helps reactivate the tumor-suppressing genes, which can put the body on a path toward healing itself. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant abilities of boswellia extract have been known for a long time, but this research provided a more in-depth view of the mechanics, i.e., the “how” of boswellia extract’s natural cell-supporting activity.
 
Dr. Goel explained that since chronic, uncontrolled inflammation is a key determinant for colorectal cancer, it provided the rationale to study boswellia for its anti-cancer and cancer preventive ability.
 
“Boswellia has unique ability to modulate epigenetic activities within cancer cells,” he said. “In other words, we have recently discovered that boswellia can reverse the process of aberrant DNA methylation, which results in the reactivation of the expression of genes that control cancer growth.
 
“Such genes,” he continued, “also referred to as tumor suppressor genes, tend to get inactivated/silenced in human cancers, which allows uncontrolled growth of the tumor and its spread to other organs. However, we have found out that when cancer cells are treated with boswellia, it allows these genes to re-activate again, re-express themselves, inhibiting and slowing down the growth of cancer cells. These results are novel as they provide explanation for the missing link on how diets, and dietary polyphenols can influence disease risks, including cancer.”  
 
Dr. Goel said that boswellia’s activity also has the capacity to influence other forms of cancer.
“We are currently testing this hypothesis in gastric, pancreatic and liver cancers,” he said. “If we can validate this, we may extend our research even beyond these cancers.”
 
Dr. Goel’s research into the mechanics of Boswellia serrata and its effects on colorectal cancer were recently awarded recognition at the International Meeting of the American Gastroenterological Association.
 
“Boswellia has a dramatic impact on cancer and, in essence, can teach the body how to heal itself. I am glad I can illuminate the promise of boswellia with my research.” said Dr. Goel. “I was delighted that it was one of the top 5% of 18,000 entries to be awarded. This really is a rare honor.”
 
As for what’s next for Dr. Goel, he reported that his team has taken a multifaced approach to their research into boswellia. “We are currently interrogating the effects of boswellia on other epigenetic alterations in cancer cells, i.e. its effect on regulation of microRNAs, a novel and unique class of RNA genes that have recently been discovered, and which are believed to be master regulators of gene expression in cancer cells,” he said. “We are also studying the effect of boswellia on other cancers … whether boswellia can be used as an adjunct to treat colorectal cancer … [and] determining whether a combination of boswellia with other botanicals, such as curcumin, may further enhance its ability to kill colorectal cancer cells.”
 
He also made it clear that boswellia should not be considered a magic bullet or singular cancer treatment. “I don’t think the use of boswellia (or for that matter any botanical) by themselves can be used for treatment of colorectal cancer, but I do think this is a fascinating compound that can very effectively be used for cancer prevention,” he said. “Alternately, I think it is highly likely that someday we may see its use as an adjunct to traditional chemo and radiation therapy for not just colorectal cancer, but other human cancers as well.”