New anti-cancer compound discovered in medicinal plant
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the deadliest form of breast cancer in women, due to its aggressive nature and limited therapeutic options. Despite extensive research, there remains a critical need for new, effective treatments that can inhibit the pathways that drive the rapid progression of TNBC.
The medicinal plant Silene viridiflora…
Medicinal plants have been central to healing traditions for centuries, with certain endemic species offering unique compounds not found elsewhere. Inspired by this rich history and as part of their broad research effort to identify compounds against TNBC, researchers from the laboratory of Prof. Vladimir Katanaev collaborated with plant specialists from Uzbekistan where many endemic species hold unused potential. Among hundreds of compounds from different species, one compound from the flowering plant Silene viridiflora caught their attention.
… revealed a potent anti-cancer compound
In their , the research teams identified a compound from Silene viridiflora, 2-Deoxy-20-hydroxyecdysone, which shows strong toxic effects against TNBC cell lines. This discovery not only provides new avenues for TNBC research, but also encourages scientists to continue searching for other natural compounds in medicinal plants.
The compound discovered in the flowering plant Silene viridiflora, 2-Deoxy-20-hydroxyecdysone, shows anti-cancer activity in vitro against the very aggressive form of breast cancer, triple-negative breast cancer. © Adapted from Figure 2 in Mamadalieva et al. 2024, Biomolecules.