Acknowledgements and Funding We thank Franziska Reipsch and Katrin Nerger for excellent technical assistance. The study was supported by funding and supply of FWGE by Biropharma Ltd, Kunfeherto, Hungary. References 1. Telekes A, Hegedus M, Chae CH, Vekey K: Avemar (wheat germ extract) in cancer prevention and treatment. Nutr Cancer 2009, 61:891–899.PubMedCrossRef 2. Johanning GL, Wang-Johanning F: Efficacy of a medical nutriment in the treatment of cancer. Altern Ther Health Med 2007, 13:56–63. quiz 64–55PubMed 3. Illmer C, Madlener S, Horvath Z, Saiko P, Losert A, Herbacek I, Grusch M, Krupitza

G, Fritzer-PND-1186 in vivo Szekeres M, Szekeres T: Immunologic and biochemical Sotrastaurin effects of the fermented wheat germ extract Avemar. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2005, 230:144–149. 4. Fajka-Boja R, Hidvegi M, Shoenfeld Y, Ion G, Demydenko D, Tomoskozi-Farkas R, Vizler C, Telekes A, Resetar A, Monostori E: Fermented wheat germ extract induces apoptosis and downregulation of major histocompatibility complex

class I proteins in tumor T and B cell lines. Int J Oncol 2002, 20:563–570.PubMed 5. Hidvegi M, Raso E, Tomoskozi-Farkas find more R, Paku S, Lapis K, Szende B: Effect of Avemar and Avemar + vitamin C on tumor growth and metastasis in experimental animals. Anticancer Res 1998, 18:2353–2358.PubMed 6. Boros LG, Nichelatti M, Shoenfeld Y: Fermented wheat germ extract (Avemar) in the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2005, 1051:529–542.PubMedCrossRef 7. Comin-Anduix B, Boros LG, Marin S, Boren J, Callol-Massot C, Centelles JJ, Torres JL, Agell N, Bassilian S, Cascante M: Fermented wheat germ extract inhibits glycolysis/pentose cycle enzymes and induces apoptosis through poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase activation in Jurkat T-cell leukemia tumor cells. J Biol Chem 2002, 277:46408–46414.PubMedCrossRef 8. Saiko P, Ozsvar-Kozma M, Madlener S, Bernhaus A, Lackner A, Grusch M, Horvath Z, Krupitza G, Jaeger W, Ammer K, Fritzer-Szekeres why M, Szekeres T: Avemar, a

nontoxic fermented wheat germ extract, induces apoptosis and inhibits ribonucleotide reductase in human HL-60 promyelocytic leukemia cells. Cancer Lett 2007, 250:323–328.PubMedCrossRef 9. Boros LG, Cascante M, Lee WN: Metabolic profiling of cell growth and death in cancer: applications in drug discovery. Drug Discov Today 2002, 7:364–372.PubMedCrossRef 10. Boros LG, Lapis K, Szende B, Tomoskozi-Farkas R, Balogh A, Boren J, Marin S, Cascante M, Hidvegi M: Wheat germ extract decreases glucose uptake and RNA ribose formation but increases fatty acid synthesis in MIA pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells. Pancreas 2001, 23:141–147.PubMedCrossRef 11. Shao J, Zhou B, Chu B, Yen Y: Ribonucleotide reductase inhibitors and future drug design. Curr Cancer Drug Targets 2006, 6:409–431.PubMedCrossRef 12.