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.

Source: Emory University