Cancer Medbot

Environmental causes of cancer

Environmental causes of cancer

1. UV Radiation

2. Air Pollution

3. Smoking - affect chromosome integrity

How many Cancers are caused by viruses

15%

Cancer and food

Affects well-being, overall health, ability to recover

Age and Genetic cancer factors

77% of all cancers occur above or around 55 yrs, and DNA damage over time leads to cancers

Breast Cancer Genes

-BRCA1 and BRCA 2 which are tumor suppressor genes, mutate to cause breast and ovarian cancer

Tobacco carcinogens

carcinogens are Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, or organic compounds containing only H and C, ex. benzene.

• small amounts in leaves, effect occurs over repeated exposure

Taxol in plant properties

• Extracted form bark

• Inhibits growth of parasitic fungi in soil

• used by tribes for things like pain and blood purifier, etc.

Taxol plant

• western/pacific yew

• flat needle like leaves

• cone with 1 black seed and red “aril”

Taxol use

- Stops malignant tumor growth \n - Helpful in advanced cases of ovarian & breast cancer \n - Used today in ever-evolving drug combinations

Taxol mechanism of action

1. inhibits tubulin (spindle) separation (binds to B-tubulin subunit of micotubules)

2. Microtubules do not disassemble after cell division

3. causes unequal cell divisions

4. no future cell division, apoptosis

Taxol problems

• large quantities of bark needed, 2g to treat patient

• 1g of taxol obtained from 3 trees

• slow growing tree

• rare in northwestern pacific

• Initially lab synthesis too complicated

• Solution: look for taxol in similar species

Mexican Yew

Produced 10x more taxol than pacific yew

English Yew

• needles contain abundant amounts of taxol precursor baccatin

Baccatin modified to produce

• Taxotere/docetaxel

• Twice as effective in prevention breakdown of mitotic spindle

• Being tested on skin, bladder, lung, cervical, ovarian cancer

Enophytic fungi

• Also produce taxol, even after removal from host

• can be lab grown

• inexpensive and quick way to produce taxol

Taxol now

• Purely synthesized in lab

• All taxol produced in germany by Python Biotech via plant cell fermentation

Turmeric active compound

Curcumin

Curcumin properties

-Antioxidant - Free radical scavenger \n Anti-amyloid - - May inhibit accumulation of amyloid in brains of

Alzheimer’s patients, break up existing plaques

Anti-inflammatory - - Inhibits enzymes involved in inflammation

Anti-tumor - - Many ongoing studies

Curcumin and antioxidant activity

1. inhibits oxidation of lipid membrane and DNA

2. Reduces DNA damage and oncogene formation

Curcumin and anti-angiogenesis

• prevention of new blood vessel growth

• Blocks enzymes that enable tumors to create own blood supply

• Iron, copper needed by these enzymes

Curcumin and oncogene expression

• interference with oncogene expression

• Blocks cytokines that activate transcription growth factors, which are overexpressed in cancer cells.

• Induces apoptosis in cancerous cells interruption at G2 stage

Curcumin problems

• low water solubility

• quickly metabolizes

• inefficiently absorbed

• degrades p53- which removes damaged cells likely to become tumors (may accelerate tumor development)

Mayapple plant

• toxic

• death in high consumption doses

• Leaves, roots and unripe fruit are toxic

• ripe fruit is edible

Mayapple compounds

• Etoposide

• Teniposide

• Podophyllotoxin

Etoposide and Teniposide Mechanism of Action

• Act on DNA replication

• Cause DNA breakage and errors

• Reduce growth and expansion of cancers

• Prevents topoisomerase II from uncoiling DNA

• Results in DNA breakage and apoptosis

Mayapple administration

• IV

• Injection

• Oral Tablet

Mayapple side effects

• Bone marrow suppression (decrease in WBC and RBC)

• Dizziness

• Nausea

• Bleeding (platelet suppression)

• Hair loss

Periwinkle

• Native to Madagascar

• Apocynaceae

Active compounds of Periwinkle

• Vincristine

• Vinblastine

Vinblastine and Vincristine

• 80% remission in Hodgkins

• 99% in acute lymphocytic leukemia

Vincristine and Vinblastine mode of action

• bind to tubulin dimers and disrupt microtubule structures

• cause microtubules to detach from spindles

• arrests mitosis in metaphase

• Affects all fast-dividing cells like bone marrow, and epithelial cells

Vincristine side effects

• Peripheral neuropathy

• hyponatremia

• constipation

• hair loss

• fetal harm if pregnant

• fertility impairment