Science · 35 views
A rare cancer-fighting plant compound has been decoded
Scientists at UBC Okanagan have uncovered how plants produce mitraphylline, a rare natural compound with promising anti cancer potential.
Summary
Scientists at UBC Okanagan have uncovered how plants produce mitraphylline, a rare natural compound with promising anti cancer potential. The team identified two enzymes that work together to build the molecule’s unusual twisted structure, solving a mystery that had puzzled researchers for years. Because mitraphylline appears only in tiny amounts in tropical plants like kratom and cat’s claw, the discovery could make it far easier to produce sustainably in the future.
AI summaries can be wrong sometimes—always verify important details using the source article.
How AI & Automation are usedMore from Science
Continue reading recent Science coverage
- Dark matter–hunting satellite Euclid reveals record number of cosmic 'magnifying glasses'Continue reading
- The experiments improving our understanding of volcanic tsunamisContinue reading
- Tangled quantum whirlpools caught unraveling in an ultracold gasContinue reading
- Rare Medical Case Leaves US Man Seeing His Cat's Eyes in People's Faces After Brain SurgeryContinue reading
Support HappeningNow
Independent AI-powered news analysis is reader-supported. Your contribution helps cover infrastructure, summaries, and continued platform development.
Support HappeningNow