A compound derived from a rare South American plant stops the growth of human breast cancer cells in laboratory cultures, report US scientists in a journal this month. A team at the University of Virginia Health System has discovered that a compound called SL0101, derived from the plant Forsteronia refracta, a member of the dogbane family found in the Amazonian rain forest, inhibits the action of a cancer-linked protein called RSK. The researchers have found that RSK is important for controlling the growth of breast cancer cells. “By preventing RSK from working, we completely stopped the growth of breast cancer cells but did not affect the growth of normal breast cells,” said Deborach Lannigan, an assistant professor of microbiology at the University of Virginia Cancer Center. Lannigan and colleague Jeffrey Smith hope that, after further testing, their discovery could translate into a successful drug for the treatment of breast cancer.
