The siris tree, whose scientific name is Albizia lebbeck, could be a promising natural remedy in the fight against breast cancer metastasis, since a new study published in the journal Scientific Reports reveals that the leaves of this plant have the potential to prevent the spread of cancer cells to other parts of the body.
The ability to stop the migration of cancer cells is key to preventing the spread of cancer to distant organs, a process implicated in the lethality of many types of cancer, including breast cancer, explained Dr. Dilber Uzun Ozsahin, associate professor at the Department of Medical Diagnostic Imaging at the University of Sharjah, who is a co-author of the study.
The study highlights that metastasis is the most common cause of death in breast cancer patients, as it usually leads to more aggressive forms of the disease that are more difficult to treat. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 2.3 million women were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022, and deaths related to this disease were estimated at 670,000 that same year.
Dr. Ozsahin has indicated that they used various methods to reach these findings including artificial intelligence. The authors discovered promising organic compounds in the ethanolic extract of Albizia lebbeck (ALEE) with medicinal properties that could help in the prevention of metastasis in human breast cancer. “We observed that different concentrations of the plant extract were not toxic and did not affect cell proliferation, but showed a significant anti-migratory potential in MDA-MB 231 and MCF-7 cells, increasing with concentration.”
Medicinal plants with the ability to inhibit metastasis
The authors emphasized the importance of their scientific project in the search for medicinal plants capable of inhibiting metastasis. Furthermore, the study provides insight into the use of medicinal plants and their components in the treatment of cancer and other related diseases, paving the way for other researchers to conduct more studies with various medicinal plants.
The authors’ main goal was to discover plants that could effectively inhibit metastasis while minimizing or avoiding side effects. The lead author of the study, Dr. Huzaifa Umar of the Near East University of Northern Cyprus, highlighted that discovering medicinal plants with the potential to inhibit metastasis represents a promising advance for the prevention of metastatic cancer, or cancer at one stage. advanced.
At this stage of their research, the authors have employed rigorous scientific methods to examine and evaluate the bioactive compounds of medicinal plants. Albizia lebbeck, better known as the siris tree, has been the plant chosen by scientists. Native to the Indian subcontinent, it is commonly used to provide shade in plantations, especially for cocoa and coffee. Edible parts include the young tops of the tree, which are cooked or boiled.
The authors presented in their study the potential of ethanolic extracts of Albizia lebbeck to inhibit the migration of human breast cancer cells in vitro. “By demonstrating anti-migratory, antiproliferative and cytotoxic effects against these cancer cell lines, the study suggests that Albizia lebbeck could be a promising natural agent to combat breast cancer metastasis,” said Dr. Ozsahin.
Ozsahin also mentioned that the study has generated “considerable interest” in the medical community, and that some industries have expressed interest in collaborating with the team to advance the research to the clinical stage, which would allow them to evaluate the safety, efficacy and feasibility of new therapies in human subjects.
“Our study has discovered promising organic compounds in ALEE that possess medicinal properties, which could help in the prevention of metastasis in human breast cancer. Interestingly, we observed that varied concentrations of the plant extract were non-toxic and had no impact on cell proliferation, but showed significant anti-migratory potential in both MDA-MB 231 and MCF-7 cells, with increasing concentration. ”, the authors have explained in the conclusions of their article.
Although they also recognize that “more studies are required to determine the antimetastatic potential of the plant using various cell lines, as well as to validate the antimigratory potential of this plant, and additional computational models should be used to improve performance.”
