Jasmine- As an Anti-Cancer Agent

Professor Eliezer Flescher, of Tel Aviv University, and his colleagues have developed an anti-cancer drug based on a decade of research into the commercial applications of the compound Jasmonate, a synthetic compound derived from the Jasmine flower. Professor Flescher began to research the compound about a decade ago, and with his recent development of the drug, his studies have now begun to bear meaningful fruit.

Acetsalicylic acid (aspirin) is based on a plant stress hormone, which has been suggested by various studies, could prevent cancer, especially colon cancer. This provides an impetus to the researcher team to find a potent plant hormone that could fight cancer even better and they pinpointed jasmonate.

Both blood cancers and solid tumors seem to be responsive to the jasmonate compound, known also as methyl jasmonate. Professor Flescher is hopeful that an anti-cancer drug based on jasmonate could be on the shelf in America within four years through the activity of Sepal-Pharma which licensed his research from Ramot, the technology transfer arm of Tel Aviv University.

The jasmonate compound is used widely in agriculture and cosmetics. Proven to be non-toxic, it has the same regulatory status as table salt. It gives a good starting point for launching a new drug to the researcher team.

Dr. Flescher research receives optimistic response from peer researchers, who are taking notice. Since Professor started publishing papers on jasmonate (most recently in academic journal Oncogene), six new research groups around the world have initiated research on the subject. Peer commentary in Oncogene is positive about Professor Fleischer’s promising research. They comment that

“Methyl Jasmonate has already been shown to have selective anti-cancer activity in preclinical studies, and this finding may stimulate the development of a novel class of small anti-cancer compounds.”