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Magnolia Extract Targets Cancer Cells’ Survival Signals 7-15-08
Almost one-third of all cases of cancer in humans involve a mutated version
of a family of genes called Ras that stimulate the growth of cancer and have
thus far been considered undruggable, due to their resistance to previous
attempts to chemically manipulate them. Ras activates an enzyme, phospholipase
D, which allows cancer cells to stay alive in the face of traditional
anti-cancer therapies when most cells would otherwise die, earning it the
reputation for being a survival signal within the cells of a specific group of
cancerous tumors. Researchers at the Emory University School of Medicine,
however, have been studying the use of a compound called honokiol, which is
proving to be successful at blocking the pathway to cellular growth in even Ras-related
cancers.
Honokiol, a compound derived from magnolia cones, has long been used in Chinese
and Japanese herbal medicine applications. It was found to successfully inhibit
the growth of tumors in laboratory mice in 2003. The Emory research team, led by
Jack Arbiser, MD, PhD, and associate professor of dermatology, believes knowing
exactly how honokiol works will help the medical community know which forms of
cancer it is most beneficial in treating. Although honokiol has shown promise in
treating a wide variety of cancers, it is proving to be the most effective when
treating tumors activated by the Ras family of genes. The research team says
that when used in conjunction with other anti-cancer treatments, honokiol may
make cancerous tumors more sensitive to traditional treatments.
When applied to breast cancer tumors, the compound seems to prevent Ras genes
from turning on phospholipase D. Similar action has been discovered in
laboratory tests of bladder and lung cancers.
The National Institutes of Health funded the research and Emory University has
begun the process of licensing honokiol and similar compounds so they can be
used in human tests. The university has approved the financial interest expected
by Arbiser as inventor of the technology.
Comment:
Honokiol and its sister compound Magnolol have been used and studies
extensively in China and Japan for alleviating depression and arthritis too.