Virginia scientists say a compound derived from a rare South American plant stops the growth of human breast cancer cells in laboratory cultures.
The University of Virginia Health System team, in a Tuesday article of the journal Cancer Research, said the compound comes from the plant Forsteronia refracta, a nondescript member of the dogbane family found in the Amazonian rain forest.
The compound works like a key in a molecular lock. It inhibits the action of a cancer-linked protein called RSK, which the researchers discovered is important for controlling the growth of breast cancer cells.
The compound does not alter the growth of normal breast cells.