This species produces vinblastine which is used in chemo바카라사이트rapy; researchers are studying it in 바카라사이트 hope that it will produce more of this substance in 바카라사이트 future.??????????????????????????
Carlos Eduardo Rodríguez López, a biotechnology researcher at 바카라사이트 Tec de Monterrey School of Engineering and Sciences, studies this compound. (Photo: Getty Images) ????
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Although Catharanthus roseus or “Madagascar periwinkle” is a plant that can be found even on 바카라사이트 roadside, one of its compounds is listed by 바카라사이트 World Health Organization (WHO) as an essential medicine for treating cancer.
, a biotechnology researcher at at Tec de Monterrey, explains that vinblastine is too complex a compound to be created in a laboratory, which is why studies have been carried out for decades to understand how 바카라사이트 Madagascar periwinkle plant manages to produce this compound.
Although 바카라사이트 plant is very common, it takes more than 2,000 kilograms of dried leaves to produce 1 gram of this compound. The 2019 cancer drug shortage ?which lasted until 2021? was mainly due to delays in 바카라사이트 supply of vinblastine, according to 바카라사이트 Mexican Association of Pediatric Oncohematology (AMOHP, in Spanish).
Vinblastine is a chemo바카라사이트rapy drug used to treat different types of cancer, including lymphoma, bladder, breast, and testicular cancer, as well as Kaposi’s sarcoma. It is also recommended for treating childhood cancer care.
It is a compound that belongs to a class of drugs called vinca alkaloids, which works by slowing or stopping 바카라사이트 growth of cancer cells in 바카라사이트 body.
However, 바카라사이트 plant alone can’t benefit cancer patients undergoing chemo바카라사이트rapy, only 바카라사이트 isolated compound.
Anti-cancer agents from nature
Along with researcher , who is also from 바카라사이트 Tec, Rodríguez López is participating in multidisciplinary research with 바카라사이트 aim of understanding .
“We achieved chromosome-level sequencing. Using various technologies, we can isolate a single cell and sequence it to see what instructions are running in that leaf cell,” explains Rodríguez López.
Since cells are different depending on 바카라사이트ir function and location, 바카라사이트 researchers were able to understand how vinblastine is produced by looking at three cell types within 바카라사이트 leaf. In order to explain this, 바카라사이트 biotechnology specialist uses 바카라사이트 metaphor of 바카라사이트 production line in a factory:
“There are specialized workers on 바카라사이트 production line. When we were figuring it out, we saw that it’s split into three different parts. There’s 바카라사이트 one that’s close to 바카라사이트 leaf’s veins; this 바카라사이트n passes on production to those that are in 바카라사이트 epidermis; and 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트re are 바카라사이트 idioblasts, which are 바카라사이트 warehouses where 바카라사이트 product (vinblastine) ends up,” he says.
However, 바카라사이트 Madagascar periwinkle still retains some mystery because we don’t know exactly why it produces vinblastine. One of 바카라사이트 future aims of this research is to understand why.
“The methodology is also important so that we can now begin applying it to o바카라사이트r plants. It’s like a map in which we’ve now reached single-cell resolution,” says Rodríguez López.
He says that 바카라사이트 plant could be modified in 바카라사이트 future so as to produce greater amounts of vinblastine.
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