Flower Blog is here to learn you on how this unique flower is being used in cancer-fighting drug treatments:
Scientists from the Institute for Cell Engineering at John Hopkins University, in Baltimore, MD, have discovered that a drug based on foxglove can dramatically slow the migration of malignant cells to other parts of the body.
Their research reveals that digoxin, a long-established drug based on chemicals found in foxglove, can block the production of a protein called HIF-1, which are responsible for the spread of breast tumours.
Credit: Manfred
Digoxin has been used for decades to treat conditions such as congestive heart failure and irregular heartbeats. But this latest discovery by the team at Johns Hopkins suggests this cheap and easily available medicine could also be deployed in the fight against cancer.
Credit: Kerry McQuaid
Earlier in 2011, the same team found digoxin could reduce the spread of prostate cancer in men byroughly 24 per cent. ‘This is really exciting,’ said research leader Dr Gregg Semenza. ‘Our findings warrant clinical trials to determine if the doses (used in animal studies) are enough to sufficiently block HIF-1 and slow breast cancer growth and spread.’
Credit: content from Fun Flower Facts
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