Discovering drugs that spark apoptosis—cancer cell self-destruction—is a holy grail of cancer research. Now, researchers at Columbia University may be one step closer to finding it. When they added Zyflamend, a supplement containing 10 herbal extracts including rosemary, turmeric, ginger, holy basil, and green tea, to a culture dish of prostate cancer cells, 78% of the cells committed suicide within 3 days. The herbs may inhibit an inflammatory enzyme.

Human studies could start later this year. Meanwhile, the researchers are suggesting Zyflamend to prostate cancer survivors to help prevent recurrence.