• Question: what sort of chemicals or plants are used when trying to find cures for cancer?

    Asked by katiem to Duncan, Kiran, Paul, Sarah, Sharon on 26 Mar 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Kiran Meekings

      Kiran Meekings answered on 26 Mar 2010:

      We try everything! we screen databanks of plant extracts (gathered from rainforests etc) to see what works against cells. We then manipulate those extracts slightly and make them into similar but different chemicals to find drugs that are even better… we also look at extracts from living organisms – a new ovarian cancer drug just approved came from a sea squirt!

    • Photo: Sharon Sneddon

      Sharon Sneddon answered on 26 Mar 2010:

      lots and lots! A lot of chemicals come from plants! At the moment, the lab I work in, one of my colleagues is working on a drug called Resveratrol, which is found in the skin of red grapes and therefore in red wine!

      There are millions more drugs and chemicals that come from plants, if you get the chance, this could be a great science project for you to research!

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