UBC Okanagan Finds Enzymes to Make Cancer Mitraphylline
SkimNews Take
Decoding the plant's enzymatic pathway to mitraphylline enables sustainable drug production without relying on the plant itself, bypassing the ecological pressures of wild harvesting for a rare compound.
Get the Health newsletter
Daily health & science — research, biotech, public health, the studies worth knowing. Free.
- University of British Columbia Okanagan identified two enzymes that together construct the spirooxindole alkaloid mitraphylline, a rare plant compound with anti‑cancer activity.
- Dr. Thu‑Thuy Dang’s 2023 team discovered the first enzyme capable of twisting a precursor into the spiro shape, a key step in mitraphylline biosynthesis.
- Tuan‑Anh Nguyen led the follow‑up work that uncovered a second enzyme that converts the spiro‑shaped intermediate into mitraphylline itself.
- Mitraphylline is naturally present only in trace amounts in tropical species such as kratom (Mitragyna) and cat’s claw (Uncaria), so the enzymatic pathway opens a route for sustainable, scalable production.
Why it matters: Pharma firms can now access mitraphylline without costly plant extraction, cutting production costs and preserving tropical species, while drug developers gain a greener path to anti‑cancer candidates.
Ask SkimNews
