The drug, made from a rare Australian plant, killed up to 70 percent of cancerous tumors in two weeks in mice. The drug, codenamed EBC-46, is obtained from the seeds of the berries of Hylandia dockrillii (a family of Euphorbiaceae), which grows only in the rainforests of northern Queensland. The preclinical test results are featured in PLoS One and are briefly reported by The Guardian.
Scientists injected the drug directly into melanomas (malignant tumors) on the skin of mice, as well as tumors on the neck, head and intestines of 300 domestic animals (dogs, cats and horses).
After five minutes, the area around the melanoma turned purple, like a bruise, after a day it turned black, after another two days a scab appeared, and finally, after two weeks, the crust came off, and underneath it was revealed clear skin without any traces of cancer.
According to the researchers, the drug triggers a cellular response that cuts off the blood supply to the tumor. Then the body begins to perceive the melanoma as a normal bruise (hematoma), the necessary immune responses are activated, and the area of the tumor is "cleaned", said lead author of the study Glen Boyle. However, EBC-46 is not useful against cancer cells that have spread to other organs (metastasis).
According to Boyle, the new drug is unlikely to completely replace chemotherapy, but in the case of successful human trials (permission to conduct such tests has already been obtained), it can be recommended to patients for whom this medical procedure is contraindicated.
The drug company is currently considering setting up a Hylandia dockrillii plantation.