Iranian Researcher Finds Innovative Way for Targeted Treatment of Colorectal Cancer
In this project, the extract of the medicinal plant Brucea javanica, which is used in traditional Chinese medicine, is used, and with a special formulation of polymer beads, the drug is directed to the colon area.
The research was conducted in the form of a doctoral thesis by the Iranian researcher, Elham Baqeri, a graduate of Pharmacy (Pharmaceutical Oncology) from the University of Malaya, and its results have been published in two international journals with a high impact factor.
Baqeri noted that the idea for the project came from the fact that colon cancer is usually treated with chemotherapy drugs like 5-FU, which have many side effects.
“We were looking for a way to use a natural medicine to have both high anticancer efficacy and reduce side effects. For this reason, we turned to Brucea javanica, which is used in traditional Chinese medicine and has been shown in some studies to have powerful antitumor compounds,” she added.
“First, we prepared an ethanol extract of the dried fruit of Brucea javanica and tested it on two colorectal cancer cell lines (HT-29 and HCT-116). The results showed that this extract effectively induced programmed cell death (apoptosis) through endogenous and exogenous pathways. Then, in animal studies, it was also found that in mice induced with AOM, this extract reduced precancerous lesions by more than 65%,” Baqeri said.
Brucea javanica, commonly known as the Macassar kernels, is a plant in the family Simaroubaceae.
Brucea javanica grows as a shrub or small tree to 5 metres (16 ft) tall. The tiny flowers (1.5–2 mm in diameter) are greenish white to greenish red or purple and occur in panicles.
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