Scientists working at the Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute have announced that a compound found in red wine may help prevent cancer growth, if combined with a common immunosuppressant.

The team wrote in the journal Cancer Letters that reservatrol, a polyphenol molecule, has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Likewise, rapamycin – a common immune suppressing drug used to prevent organ transplant rejection – suppresses some cancer growth.

However, combining the two appears to increase the overall effect. Researchers have known for some time that rapamycin’s cancer-fighting property tends to wear off with repeated use. The Cleveland team found that it lasted much longer when combined with reservatrol.

In laboratory tests, researchers determined that the mix of compounds suppressed breast cancer cell growth by 50 percent.

Ever since a 1996 article in the journal Science noted that reservatrol seemed to prevent skin cancer in mice, scientists have been studying the molecule for its potential health benefits.

Studies have shown that drinking a glass of red wine every so often can improve heart health and lower blood cholesterol.