UDUS research team claims breakthrough in brain cancer
A team of researchers at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto (UDUS) say they may have discovered ingredients from a locally available plant with the potential to cure brain cancer.
The group, led by Dr Amina Yusuf Jega of the Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, revealed that their findings showed strong efficacy during laboratory tests in the United States.
Dr Jega explained that the plant extract was first screened abroad, where it proved effective against glioblastoma multiforme, a highly aggressive form of brain cancer.
The success prompted the researchers to secure a grant from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to continue their work in Nigeria.
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She noted that subsequent tests also showed promising activity against other cancers, including leukaemia, cervical cancer and breast cancer. Importantly, toxicity studies on animals suggested the plant extract was “moderately safe” after prolonged administration.
“We were able to identify each of the active constituents responsible for the anti-cancer effects, particularly against brain cancer,” Dr Jega said. “The results were very encouraging.”
Despite the optimism, the team clarified that the extract has not yet been tested on humans. So far, the research has been limited to in vitro studies and animal testing.
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Globally, oncologists stress that brain cancer remains one of the hardest cancers to treat, with surgery, radiation and chemotherapy currently the only available options.
The Sokoto research, if validated and developed further, could provide an alternative path.
Experts say the next phase will involve deepening the research, securing patents for the discovery, and collaborating with pharmaceutical firms capable of taking the product through clinical trials.
Dr Jega, who lectures at UDUS’s Faculty of Pharmacy, is part of a five-member team driving what could become one of Nigeria’s most significant contributions to global medicine.
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