Jasmine-based Drug may Fight Cancer

An anti-cancer drug based on Jasmonate, a synthetic compound derived from the jasmine plant has been developed by a group of researchers.

Prof. Eliezer Flescher of The Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University have developed an anti-cancer drug based on a decade of research into the commercial applications of the compound Jasmonate.

Prof. Flescher began to research the compound about a decade ago, and with his recent development of the drug, his studies have now begun to bear meaningful fruit.

"Acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) is based on a plant stress hormone. I asked myself, 'Could there be other plant stress hormones that have clinical efficacy?' While various studies have suggested that aspirin can prevent cancer, especially colon cancer, I realized that there could be a chance to find a potent plant hormone that could fight cancer even better. I pinpointed jasmonate," says Prof. Flescher.

Both blood cancers and solid tumors seem to be responsive to the jasmonate compound, known also as methyl jasmonate.

Prof. Flescher refers to it as the "jasmonate scaffold," a basis for developing a series of chemical derivatives. In terms of bioavailability and safety, early first-in-man studies have proven successful, and Prof. Flescher is hopeful that an anti-cancer drug based on jasmonate could be on the shelf in America within four years through the activity of Sepal-Pharma which licensed his research from Ramot, the technology transfer arm of Tel Aviv University.

Normally drug development takes much longer.

Advertisement

"The jasmonate compound is used widely in agriculture and in cosmetics. Proven to be non-toxic, it has the same regulatory status as table salt. That and the fact we are working on a natural chemical gives us a good starting point for launching a new drug," says Prof. Flescher.

Source-ANI
RAS/L