Selective apoptotic effect of Zelkova serrata twig extract on mouth epidermoid carcinoma through p53 activation

Abstract

Extracts of Zelkova serrata, an East Asian plant used for food and medicinal purposes, contain compounds that may prove useful in treating some oral cancers. The prognosis for patients with such tumors is fairly poor: they have a five-year survival rate of around 50%. Since Z. serrata has proven useful for treating other medical conditions, Hoe-Jin Kang and Young-Joo Jang of Dankook University, Korea, tested whether extracts derived from twigs of this plant might have an effect on the growth of cell lines derived from different types of oral cancer. The researchers obtained one extract that proved specifically toxic to epidermoid carcinoma cells, triggering a cellular suicide mechanism that thwarts tumor growth. Further analysis of the molecules within this fraction may offer useful leads for future oral cancer drug development.

Keywords

anticancer / apoptosis / oral carcinomas / p53 / Zelkova serrata

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