Oregon scientists have found that dahlias may hold a key to slowing the spread of cancer

Scientists often look to nature for compounds that can be used to improve our health. And students have been studying at the for years University of Portland laboriously grinding up flowers – roses, dahlias, columbines, geraniums (to name just a few) – and isolating different molecules from them in order to find the next big breakthrough.

The students were specifically looking for a compound that would block a pollutant called “blockades.” Hyaluronidasewhich can promote the progression of multiple sclerosis and some types of cancer.

A few years ago, students found something promising in the plants: a compound called sulfuretin.

Following this example, scientists from Oregon Health and Science University began testing sulfuretin on cells in the laboratory. They found that the plant-based compound was able to successfully inhibit a key form of the problematic hyaluronidase. And they found that the most potent form of sulfuretin comes from it Coreopsis Flowers and dahlias.

They plan to expand their research beyond isolated cells in the lab to animals to test effectiveness and possible side effects.

Find the paper inside The Journal of Biological Chemistry Here.

In these All Science Snapshots: “All science. Not fiction.” Creator Jes Burns presents the most interesting, wondrous, and hopeful science from the Pacific Northwest.

And remember: science builds on previous science. No single study tells the whole story.