The University Health System published a study in the American Association of Cancer Research journal's Feb. issue detailing the discovery of a compound that has stopped the growth of human breast cancer cells in test cultures.
The study, which began five years ago, was conducted by University cancer biologists Deborah A. Lannigan and Jeffrey S. Smith and University Chemistry Prof. Sidney M. Hecht.
The compound, called SL0101, is from the South American plant Forsteronia refracta found in the Amazonian Rainforest.
"SL0101 is an elite compound from which you can try and develop some drug that can someday go into the clinic," Lannigan said.
The compound works to inhibit RSK, a protein researchers have found to contribute to the growth of breast cancer cells, Lannigan said.
"It's very important and exciting," she said. "Before we started working on our research no one was paying attention to this protein. We identified that that protein was important."
The next step for the researchers is to evaluate the compound in mice models and see if it can stop the growth of human tumors in mice, Lannigan said.
Continued research would require more funding, but if resources were secured human testing would begin in three years, according to Lannigan.
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