Cancer and biomedicine

Plants produce substances that function as a deterrent against enemies such as plant eaters and harmful microorganisms, protect the plant against stress and perform many other functions. Some of these natural plant products are also effective against certain diseases, cancer being one of them. The family Brassicales, that include cabbage such as broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts as well as other cruciferous plants like rape, mustard, rocket, radishes, and watercress, produce the natural plant products glucosinolates. When eaten, glucosinolates release the cancer fighting drug sulforaphane that increases the body’s ability to discard of cancer-inducing compounds. We have identified the genes responsible for producing these glucosinolates, and at the moment, we are working on producing a super rocket that contains even more glucosinolates, through gene modification. One can also imagine that other plants could be engineered to be rich sources of glucosinolates to be taken as supplement to the daily diet.

 

Other disease fighting natural plant products that form part of the department’s research are thapsigargin as well as rhodiocyanosides and cyanogenic glucosides and their effect on allergy, lung and skin diseases.

 

For more information contact Professor Barbara Ann Halkier (glucosinolates) or Professor Birger Lindberg Møller (rhodiocyanosides and cyanogenic glucosides)