Avocatin B found in avocado seeds is believed to be able to target acute myeloid leukemia stem cells while sparing healthy blood cells. This discovery could lead to a new treatment.
Researchers at the University of Waterloo (Canada) tested 800 natural compounds in human myeloid leukemia cells in the laboratory. They found that Avocatin B was very effective in killing cancer cells. To test the virtues of this compound, they ingested it in mice genetically programmed to have acute myeloid leukemia.
The results of this experiment showed the effectiveness of Avocatin B in killing leukemia cells without affecting healthy stem cells in the blood.
Scientists have also observed that when treated with Avocatin B, immature myeloid cells have a limited ability to develop in the bone marrow of mice.
“Stem cells are really the cells that orchestrate disease,” explains Professor Paul Spagnuolo, a researcher at the University of Waterloo and lead author of this study. “Responsible for the rapid spread in the body, these cells are also the cause of frequent relapses in patients who have been diagnosed with this form of leukemia,” explains the researcher.
A phase 1 of clinical trials must be carried out and the researchers hope to be able to develop a new treatment.
Acute leukemia in numbers
Acute leukemias are rapidly progressive diseases that endanger the lives of patients in the short term without treatment. About 8,000 people in France are affected by myeloid leukemia and 700 new cases are discovered each year. This form of blood cancer affects men more than women, mainly after the age of 50. In many cases, its discovery is accidental and is made during a blood test which reveals too many white blood cells.
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