The inhibitory activities of tea catechins against carcinogenesis and cancer cell growth have been demonstrated in a large number of laboratory studies. Many mechanisms for modulating cancer signaling and metabolic pathways have been proposed based on numerous studies in cell lines with (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the most abundant and active tea catechin. Nevertheless, it is not known whether many of these mechanisms indeed contribute to the anticancer activities in animals and in humans. Human studies have not yet provided strong evidence for the cancer preventive activities, nor therapeutic efficacy of tea or tea constituents. This chapter reviews the basic biochemical properties of tea catechins, their binding to key enzymes and signal transduction proteins, and other mechanisms that lead to suppression of cell proliferation, increased apoptosis, and inhibition of angiogenesis. The relevance of these mechanisms are assessed in the light of the situation in vivo. The potential challenges in the application of tea and tea-derived agents for cancer prevention and therapy are also discussed.
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