Pharma Taps into Rare Blushwood Berries for Anti-Cancer Potential

The fight against cancer may have found a new ally in nature. In a groundbreaking study, researchers at the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute have unveiled the potential of an experimental drug, derived from the fruit of the Blushwood tree, to combat cancer tumors. In 75% of cases, tumors never returned after being wiped out.

The Power of EBC-46

This pioneering 8-years-long research, spearheaded by Dr. Glen Boyle of QIMR Berghofer’s Cancer Drug Mechanisms group, has shown that a mere single dose of the drug, named EBC-46, can induce a swift disintegration of tumors across various human tumor models.

The source of EBC-46 is fascinating. It is extracted from the fruit of the Blushwood tree, native to the rainforests of north Queensland. But the compound can’t just be taken out and tapped into. The compound needs to go through a purification process after being extracted, which is “very, very complicated.”

Dr. Boyle expressed optimism regarding the drug’s potential application in human patients, noting its remarkable efficacy in melanoma models and cancers of the head, neck, and colon.

“Within a span of just four hours post-injection, we observed a significant loss of cancer cell viability, leading to the eventual eradication of the tumors,” he stated.

According to Boyle, the compound found in the Blushwood tree seeds destroys cancerous cells in 3 different ways.

“The compound works in three ways essentially: it kills the tumor cells directly, it cuts off the blood supply and it also activates the body’s own immune system to clean up the mess that’s left behind.”

Dr. Boyle added:

“The surprising thing for us and the thing that we don’t see very often is the speed with which this occurs. Usually, when you treat a tumor it takes several weeks for it to resolve, but this is very, very rapid. There’s a purpling of the area, of the tumor itself, and you see that within five minutes and you come back the next day and the tumor‘s black and you come back a few days later and the tumor‘s fallen off.”

The initial discovery of EBC-46 was made by the Queensland-based biotech firm, EcoBiotics. The drug is now being advanced as both a human and veterinary pharmaceutical via EcoBiotics’ subsidiary, QBiotics.

Veterinary Success and Future Trials

Veterinarians have already employed the experimental drug with success, witnessing significant tumor reduction or elimination in various pets, including dogs, cats, and horses. QBiotics is actively conducting formal veterinary clinical trials of EBC-46 in both Australia and the USA. However, a final nod for a human Phase I clinical trial is still pending.

Dr. Boyle was hopeful for the fruit compound to be used for tumors that can be accessed by direct injection, but said that it would not be effective against metastatic cancers, and therefore could only add to chemo and radiation treatments rather than replace them. The findings are based on pre-clinical trials, meaning they have not yet been tested on humans.

Read: Sea Cucumber Found to Kill 95% of Cancer Cells, Shrink Tumors

The Blushwood Tree is a Rare Find

The Blushwood tree is apparently very picky about where it grows. With very specific growing requirements, it has only been found to thrive in Far North Queensland in the middle of the Australian Rainforest – seen on the Atherton Tablelands.

Scientists are trying to expand that to different places to see if it would grow on a farm.

These results prove yet another reason to protect the lush jungles that are dwindling due to deforestation.