Berries Found In Australia Could Cure Cancer

Scientists discovered berries that can be found in the rainforests of Queensland contain a molecule that could fight against cancer. Currently, the Australian scientists are conducting tests on the cancer-fighting properties in these berries.

The tree cannot be found in other parts of the world. It can only be seen in the Far North Queensland in Australia. The molecule is known as EBC-46 and can be found in the berries of the rainforest tree blushwood that grows on the Atherton Tablelands.

'Anti-cancer' berries discovered in Australian rainforest https://t.co/gC0wkJ2nEB pic.twitter.com/fMLGt0MBYE

— HuffPost SouthAfrica (@HuffPostSA) December 18, 2016

Victoria Gordon, the Q-Biotics CEO, said that it is a small molecule that works with the body to destroy cancer, rather than being a chemotherapy approach that is acting, in many cases, against the body. She further said that the treatment was uncomplicated. The substance will just be injected into a tumor.

Gordon added that one gets full tumor destruction in five to seven days, great healing of the site and no significant side effects. The molecule has been tested in animals. The clinical trials on humans are underway, with 14 patients already treated. Gordon said that those who were treated at hospitals in Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide and Melbourne did not experience any negative side effects, according to Huffington Post.

The molecule referred to as EBC-46 was discovered in an automated screening process of natural products. It is a phorbol ester, which acts as a protein kinase C regulator. Currently, it is an experimental drug candidate that is being studied pre-clinically by the Australian company Ecobiotics. It is found that EBC-46 can treat tumors such as squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma, breast adenocarcinoma and basal cell carcinoma. EBC-46 is an extract of the berries from blushwood tree.