April 22nd, 2013 -- Noted Cancer Researcher and Executive Chairman of Eden Gardens and the Biotech R&D Institute, Dr Henry Lowe and his team of local and international scientists have made major breakthroughs in the fight against prostate cancer.
According to their research the Jamaican Ball Moss could hold the key to fighting the disease.
Over the last several weeks and months as one of their several peer reviewed research papers on the Jamaica Ball Moss titled “Cycloartane-3,24,25-triol inhibits MRCKα kinase, demonstrates promising anti prostate cancer activity in vitro” published in one of the world’s leading cancer peer review journals Cancer Cell International, have so far received over 1200 downloads, a seminal achievement within the international scientific research community.
Dr. Lowe’s research team include Dr. Joseph Bryant and Ngeh Toyang from the University of Maryland’s School of Medicine, Dr. Charah Watson from Biotech R&D Institute and Dr. Simone Badal from the University of the West Indies. According to Dr. Lowe, who is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Maryland , School of Medicine and Distinguished Adjunct Professor of Ethno-medicinal Chemistry at the University of Technology , Jamaica , “the high access statistics demonstrates the global scientific and medical impact of the research and its novelty and relevance to anticancer research worldwide. Jamaica can therefore be considered as a serious contender for international recognition of its anti-cancer research.”
The research paper details the activity of a compound isolated from the Jamaican Ball Moss, which was very effective in killing prostate cancer cells. The compound, Cycloartane-3,24,25-triol is one of 22 chemically related compounds called cycloartanes identified by Dr. Lowe and his team to be responsible for the anti-cancer activity of Ball moss. The research team, however, went on further to evaluate the mode of action of this compound by conducting several mechanistic studies, which in essence looks at how it works.
Lowe pointed out that, “one of the studies conducted on the Cycloartanes from Jamaican Ball Moss was Kinase Inhibition activity. Kinase Inhibition studies now represent the gold standard by which pharmaceutical companies identifies serious drug candidates.” Kinases are a group of enzymes that are used extensively to transmit signals and control complex processes in cells. The specific Kinase enzyme, MRCKα Kinase has been implicated in the irregular cellular growth which leads to cancer formation in the cell. The activities of the isolated compound on the inhibition of MRCKα Kinase are therefore considered as a potential solution to restoring the normal cellular growth and multiplication and prevent or destroy cancer.
“It has been a very long journey from the discovery of the Ball Moss as a plant with major anti-cancer properties. This research has been ongoing well over 10 years and we are now experiencing some of the fruits from our hard labour”, Dr. Lowe noted.
In addition to the six published papers, Lowe made two presentations to leading cancer research scientists and medical researchers at the prestigious American Association of Cancer Research, of which he is a member. He said that he and his team had worked hard to counter the cynics and naysayers who were very vocal when he first publicized his findings in December 2006. However, he admitted that their skepticism pushed him to work even harder as he was convinced that his research was sound.
Dr. Lowe has earned several recognitions nationally and regionally, including the Order of Jamaica in 2012 and the Commander of the Order of Distinction in 1982. He was also officially recognized in December last year by the United States Congress and the New York State Senate for his contributions to science and scientific research.
The full paper can be accessed from the visiting the following web page
http://www.cancerci.com/content/12/1/46orhttp://www.cancerci.com/
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