Plant stem cells pave way for low-cost cancer drug
October 26th, 2010 - 1:38 pm ICT by ANILondon, Oct 26 (ANI): A new study has suggested that a well-known cancer drug could be produced cheaply and sustainably using stem cells derived from trees.
University of Edinburgh researchers have isolated and grown stem cells from a yew tree whose bark is a natural source of the anticancer compound paclitaxel.
The development could enable the compound to be produced on a commercial scale at low cost, with no harmful by-products.
Scientists and engineers behind the development say the drug treatment - currently used on lung, ovarian, breast, head and neck cancer - could become cheaper and more widely available.
Currently, an extract from yew tree bark is used to industrially manufacture the compound paclitaxel.
However, this process is expensive, requires supplies of mature trees, and creates environmentally damaging by-products.
Researchers claim that using stem cells-self-renewing tree cells which can be manipulated to produce large amounts of the active compound-would effectively create an abundant supply of the drug.
Scientists behind the project have also cultured stem cells from other plants with medical applications, indicating that the technique could be used to manufacture other important pharmaceuticals besides paclitaxel.
The study was published in Nature Biotechnology. (ANI)
- Forests really do have healing touch - Jul 24, 2010
- Long-sought-after anti-cancer agent synthesized - Feb 01, 2011
- Motor protein that blocks ovarian tumor growth found - Apr 27, 2011
- Now, 'Trojan Horse' delivery system to attack cancer cells from inside - Jul 28, 2010
- Blue light could be highly in potent platinum-based cancer treatment - Dec 10, 2010
- Cancer-killing medical 'smart bomb' comes closer to reality - Feb 18, 2011
- Scientists identify and isolate adult mammary stem cells in mice - Aug 31, 2010
- Red light forces cancer cells to absorb chemo drugs - Nov 14, 2010
- Scientists identify four anti-cancer compounds - Nov 30, 2011
- Stem cells from skin, blood regenerate faltering liver - May 12, 2011
- New colon cancer marker identified - Mar 26, 2011
- Chinese medicinal plant extract may help develop anticancer drugs - Mar 04, 2011
- New drug murders cancer cells - Apr 08, 2010
- Drug discovery combats ovarian cancer - Jun 05, 2011
- Study on zebrafish paves way for new cancer treatment - Dec 15, 2010
Tags: abundant supply, anticancer compound, breast, cancer drug, head and neck cancer, london, mature trees, medical applications, natural source, nature biotechnology, paclitaxel, pharmaceuticals, plants, scientists, stem cells, tree bark, university of edinburgh, yew tree