Cancer Cells Targeted by Natural Compound in Japanese, Chinese Herbal Medicines

A natural compound from magnolia cones, found in Japanese and Chinese herbal medicines, has the ability to block an elusive pathway for cancer growth in a collaborative study.

A collaborative study has found that a natural compound from magnolia cones has the ability to block an elusive pathway for cancer growth. This compound is found in Japanese and Chinese herbs.

Dr. Jack Arbiser of Emory University School of Medicine joined forces with Dr. David Foster of Hunter College of the City University of New York to study how the compound honokiol works.

Pancreatic Cancer - All About the Disease, its Diagnosis and Management
Pancreatic cancer often involves its exocrine part. It grows aggressively, and often detected late. Treatment options include surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.

"Knowing more about how honokiol works will tell us what kinds of cancer to go after. We found that it is particularly potent against tumours with activated Ras," says Arbiser, who is an associate professor of dermatology.

A research article in the journal Clinical Cancer Research says that Ras refers to a family of genes whose mutation stimulates the growth of several types of cancers.

It further states that the Ras family, though mutated in around a third of human cancers, is considered by medicinal chemists to be an intractable target.

Biopsy - Introduction
Encyclopedia section of medindia explains in brief Introduction To Biopsy

In their study report, the researchers write that honokiol's properties may make it useful in combination with other anti-tumour drugs, as blocking Ras activation may prevent tumours from escaping the effects of the medications.

"Honokiol could be effective as a way to make tumors more sensitive to traditional chemotherapy," Arbiser says.

Oral Cancer | Mouth Cancer - Types, Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment & Prevention
Oral cancer is a cancer that develops in any part of the mouth. It is more common in men over 40.

The researchers say that one of the effects of Ras is to drive pumps that remove chemotherapy drugs from cancer cells.

They have found that, in breast cancer cell lines, honoliol may prevent Ras from turning on an enzyme called phospholipase D, which allows cancer cells to stay alive when ordinary cells would die.

Liver Cancer
Liver is the largest organ inside the human body. It performs 500 different functions and processes 720 liters of blood per day. The important functions of the liver, the development of liver cancer and it’s symptoms are presented in this interactive.

According to them, this compound seems to have similar effects in lung and bladder cancer cells in the laboratory.

Emory University is in the process of licensing honokiol and related compounds so that they can be tested in people in co-operation with industry partners.

Source-ANI
RAS/N