Dark Sweet Cherries May Help Slow Aggressive Breast Cancer, Mouse Study Suggests

Key TakeawaysCompounds in dark cherries slowed tumor growth in new researchThe compounds also reduced cancer spread in miceBefore this could help human patients, the compounds would have to be tested in people.WEDNESDAY, March 11, 2026 (HealthDay News) — From cobblers to smoothies, dark sweet cherries show up in plenty of recipes, and scientists say the crimson-colored fruit may contain compounds that could help fight an aggressive type of breast cancer.A team at Texas A&M University studied natural plant compounds called anthocyanins, which give cherries their deep red color. In lab tests with mice, these compounds slowed tumor growth and reduced the spread of cancer to other organs.The research focused on triple-negative breast cancer, a form of the disease that is often harder to treat. “Triple-negative breast cancer is considered ‘the worst’ because it is more aggressive, higher grade, and has a higher mitotic index, meaning the cancer cells divide quickly,” Giuliana Noratto, a research scientist in the Texas A&M Department of Food Science and Technology, said in a news release.Unlike many other breast cancers, triple-negative breast cancer does not have estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors and the HER2 protein, which normally help control cell growth. Without these "targets," fewer treatment options are available.The disease is also more likely to spread to organs such as the lungs and brain, Noratto said.Instead of only measuring tumor size, researchers also looked at how the cancer spread through the body.“This is important because cancer lethality is primarily due to metastasis,” Noratto explained. “A large primary tumor that does not metastasize may be more manageable, even curable if removed.”In the study, which was published in the International Journal of Molecular Science, mice were placed into four groups:One was given cherry anthocyanins before tumors were implanted.A second was treated with the chemotherapy drug doxorubicin after tumors developed.A third was treated with both anthocyanins and chemotherapy.A control group.Mice that received cherry compounds before tumors formed had slower tumor growth and showed no clear side effects, researchers said. The animals also continued to gain weight normally during the study.Mice treated with chemotherapy alone sometimes lost weight, and tumor growth slowed later in the study. But when the cherry compounds were combined with chemo, tumor growth slowed earlier and the mice kept a healthy weight.Researchers also looked at gene activity inside the cancer cells.They found that the cherry compounds reduced activity in genes linked to cancer spread and resistance to therapy.The treatment also lowered the chance that cancer would spread to the liver, heart, kidneys and spleen, although the number and size of tumors varied between animals.To better understand what was happening in the body, researchers studied tumor tissue under a microscope.Veterinary pathologist Dr. Lauren Stranahan examined how quickly cancer cells were dividing and how far cancer had spread into organs.“Some tumors had a higher mitotic rate, so they were dividing faster,” she said.Researchers also looked at immune cells called T lymphocytes, which help the body fight abnormal cells like cancer.“When we’re evaluating how aggressive a cancer is, we can also evaluate, ‘is that cancer able to reduce the number of T-cells that are coming after it?’ ” Stranahan said.Researchers said their findings add to growing evidence that natural compounds from food may help support cancer treatment; however, they are not a replacement for standard therapies.“What we’re understanding about cancer now is that no single treatment is going to be effective against a cancer,” Stranahan added. “You’re going to have to employ a number of different treatments.”Noratto said compounds from foods like cherries may affect cancer pathways that current treatments do not target.Still, the researchers stressed that much more investigation is needed before the findings could apply to people — especially since results of studies in animals often differ in humans. Scientists will have to study how these compounds are absorbed in the body and how they might work alongside existing treatments.More informationCleveland Clinic Health Essentials has more health benefits of cherries.SOURCE: Texas A&M AgriLife, news release, March 9, 2026 .What This Means For YouScientists are studying the natural compounds in foods to see if they might support future cancer treatment. More research is needed to know if these findings could help humans, however..Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter