Since we know that our compound comes from a flower in a family of flowers, we believe that the other flowers may also have anti-cancer properties and are worth looking into in regards to cancer research. Personally, I would like to perform the same experiment we did on the Plumbago Zeylanica with the other compounds that come from these other flowers. We could then compare these results to that of Plumbago Zeylanica and see which flower in the family has the most successful results. I don’t know that they would all prove to be successful, but the research is still important, and because of our results with this compound, we are optimistic that others could have the same or better results! I hope that answered your question!
From Alex:
Great question! Specifically, our compound has an effect on tumor growth and size as it relates to Lymphoma in mice. The study my partner and I found used ethanolic extract of Plumbago Zeylanica, and they found that at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg, our compound inhibited tumor volume, packed cell volume, and tumor (viable) cell count. It has also shown to bring the hematological to more normal levels. This means that aside from just reducing tumor growth, our compound also has some positive side effects; a very promising statistic. If you would like to read more about that specific study, the link is http://www.planetayurveda.com/library/chitrak-plumbago-zeylanica/. This study is very fascinating, and is actually a big reason why we chose this compound as opposed to others when looking for potential hits! I hope this answered your question!
Excellent question! One of the big differences between tumors and flies that needs to be addressed is the characteristic of tumors to metastasize. When testing our compound in flies and relating them to tumors, we are really only capturing their ability to grow fast. Since flies mate and reproduce quickly, they are a really cheap option when it comes to finding a compound that can slow the ‘tumor’ growth, but when it comes to metastasis, flies don’t mirror that part of tumors. Metastasis is when tumor cells move to another part of the body, and it is a big reason why later stages of cancer are so much harder to treat. The cancer may have started in the liver for example and because we don’t normally find liver cancer until stage 3 or 4, it is probable that the cancer is not only in the liver. Metastasis is a hallmark of cancer and it is very hard to replicate in a lab, so it is definitely something that needs to be addressed before testing Plumbago Zeylanica! I hope that answered your question!
We base this off of the survival rate of the negative control so that we know exactly where all the dilutions fall on the spectrum of percent survival rates, and so that we could choose the one that works best in the flies. By having the whole spectrum of percent survival rates, we can find the perfect sweet spot of where our drug is effective against cancer but also doesn’t kill the patient or cause side effects that may be worse than the cancer itself. This further research would also make us more knowledgeable about our compound in general and help us understand better how our drug works in cancers. I hope that answered your question!
A specific flower from this family that I would like to test would be the Plumbago Auriculata compound. It has been proven successful against breast cancer, ovarian cancer, prostrate cancer, pancreatic cancer, lung cancer, skin cancer, leukemia, liver cancer, renal cancer, and cervical cancer. In general, I believe a lot of the flowers in this family of flowers would prove to have anti-cancer properties, and I am interested in this specific compound because it is plant based, is soluble in water and can be administered through and IV, and has also been seen to have positive side effects in animal trials. I think the whole family is worth being tested, but Plumbago Auriculata is one that I am definitely interested and if I had more time, would test next the same way that my partner and I did the Plumbago Zeylanica. I hope that answered your question!
How would you combat testing the other compounds that could be found in the flower? Do you think they are all attacking cancer cells or just a few?
Since we know that our compound comes from a flower in a family of flowers, we believe that the other flowers may also have anti-cancer properties and are worth looking into in regards to cancer research. Personally, I would like to perform the same experiment we did on the Plumbago Zeylanica with the other compounds that come from these other flowers. We could then compare these results to that of Plumbago Zeylanica and see which flower in the family has the most successful results. I don’t know that they would all prove to be successful, but the research is still important, and because of our results with this compound, we are optimistic that others could have the same or better results! I hope that answered your question!
What are the (more specific) effects of the Leadwort plant on Lymphoma?
From Alex:
Great question! Specifically, our compound has an effect on tumor growth and size as it relates to Lymphoma in mice. The study my partner and I found used ethanolic extract of Plumbago Zeylanica, and they found that at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg, our compound inhibited tumor volume, packed cell volume, and tumor (viable) cell count. It has also shown to bring the hematological to more normal levels. This means that aside from just reducing tumor growth, our compound also has some positive side effects; a very promising statistic. If you would like to read more about that specific study, the link is http://www.planetayurveda.com/library/chitrak-plumbago-zeylanica/. This study is very fascinating, and is actually a big reason why we chose this compound as opposed to others when looking for potential hits! I hope this answered your question!
What differences between tumors and flies need to be addressed when it comes to testing Plumbago Zeylanica on humans?
Excellent question! One of the big differences between tumors and flies that needs to be addressed is the characteristic of tumors to metastasize. When testing our compound in flies and relating them to tumors, we are really only capturing their ability to grow fast. Since flies mate and reproduce quickly, they are a really cheap option when it comes to finding a compound that can slow the ‘tumor’ growth, but when it comes to metastasis, flies don’t mirror that part of tumors. Metastasis is when tumor cells move to another part of the body, and it is a big reason why later stages of cancer are so much harder to treat. The cancer may have started in the liver for example and because we don’t normally find liver cancer until stage 3 or 4, it is probable that the cancer is not only in the liver. Metastasis is a hallmark of cancer and it is very hard to replicate in a lab, so it is definitely something that needs to be addressed before testing Plumbago Zeylanica! I hope that answered your question!
When you say the goal is to get closer to the 50% survival rate, why are you basing your research of this initial survival rate?
We base this off of the survival rate of the negative control so that we know exactly where all the dilutions fall on the spectrum of percent survival rates, and so that we could choose the one that works best in the flies. By having the whole spectrum of percent survival rates, we can find the perfect sweet spot of where our drug is effective against cancer but also doesn’t kill the patient or cause side effects that may be worse than the cancer itself. This further research would also make us more knowledgeable about our compound in general and help us understand better how our drug works in cancers. I hope that answered your question!
Is there a specific flower from the family that you would like to look at for future directions?
A specific flower from this family that I would like to test would be the Plumbago Auriculata compound. It has been proven successful against breast cancer, ovarian cancer, prostrate cancer, pancreatic cancer, lung cancer, skin cancer, leukemia, liver cancer, renal cancer, and cervical cancer. In general, I believe a lot of the flowers in this family of flowers would prove to have anti-cancer properties, and I am interested in this specific compound because it is plant based, is soluble in water and can be administered through and IV, and has also been seen to have positive side effects in animal trials. I think the whole family is worth being tested, but Plumbago Auriculata is one that I am definitely interested and if I had more time, would test next the same way that my partner and I did the Plumbago Zeylanica. I hope that answered your question!