Mobile app finds anti-cancer molecules in food 手机软件发现食物中的抗癌分子

黄忠雪

An app that harnesses the unused processing power of mobile phones has been used to identify anti-cancer molecules in a range of foods.

The research identified carrots， celery and oranges as having the highest number of cancer-fighting molecules. Grapes， dill （蒔萝） and cabbage also have high numbers of these anti-cancer molecules.

The DreamLab app， which has now been downloaded 83，000 times， works while users sleep and has so far performed more than 10 million calculations. And one expert said there was a “long road ahead” to develop treatments.

The app uses an algorithm to measure the properties of more than 8，000 everyday foods against a comprehensive database， looking for molecules that have successfully tackled cancer in lab tests of cell cultures or animals.

The research also suggests existing anti-diabetic and anti-microbial drugs could play a role in anti-cancer therapy.

Lead researcher Dr Kirill Veselkov， from Imperial College London's department of surgery and cancer， said， “This is a groundbreaking moment for us.”

“The next step is to use AI technologies to explore the impact that different combinations of drugs and food-based molecules could have on individuals.”

Weilin Wu， Cancer Research UK's health information officer， said， “This intriguing study suggests we might be able to find leads for new cancer therapies among the naturally occurring chemicals that make up our food and drink. But even if this approach bears fruit， there's a long road ahead to develop them into cancer treatments and test whether they're effective in treating the disease.”

“There's good evidence that you can reduce your cancer risk by eating more foods high in fibre， like fruit and vegetables， and cutting down on processed and red meat， and high calorie foods and drink.”

The app is a partnership between Imperial College London and the Vodafone Foundation. And the findings have been published in Nature.

Reading Check

What's DreamLab used for？

A. Identifying cancer'fighting molecules in foods.

B. Labeling foods high in fibre and low in calories.

C. Discovering foods containing anti'cancer molecules.

D. Displaying the characteristics of everyday food and drink.

Language Study

Sentences for writing

1. 研究发现胡萝卜、芹菜和橙子是抗癌分子数量最多的。

The research identified carrots， celery and oranges   ______________    cancer-fighting molecules.

2. 下一步是利用人工智能技术来探索药物和食物分子的不同组合对个体的影响。

The next step is to use AI technologies to explore the impact   _______________    drugs and food-based molecules could have on individuals.