The research is conducted by Georgia State University and Georgia State’s Perimeter College in the US, Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia, and the Winship Cancer Center at Emory University (US).
A number of plants from Ethiopia could help combat cancer, recent research suggests.
“There are many medicinal plants that have been used by the traditional healers for centuries,” said Paulos Yohannes, a chemistry professor who serves as associate dean for STEM/research at Georgia State University’s Perimeter College.
“At this moment, preliminary studies have shown that we are working with plant extracts that exhibit anticancer activities.”
There are two important aspects to the project, according to Georgia State Regents’ Professor and Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar Binghe Wang.
“The first is to assess these extracts or purified compounds for biological activity, starting with cell culture experiments. In searching for anticancer compounds, we look for those that exhibit potent cytotoxicity against cancer cells. Once the activity is confirmed, there is a set of spectroscopic experiments that we conduct to confirm the structures of the compounds,” the researcher noted.
Daisy Hips is a science communicator who brings the wonders of the natural world to readers. Her articles explore breakthroughs in various scientific disciplines, from space exploration to environmental conservation. Daisy is also an advocate for science education and enjoys stargazing in her spare time.
