Avocados could help in the fight against cancer.
That's according to a new study, which has revealed fat from the in-vogue fruit can combat acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), a rare but deadly form of the disease.
The team of researchers from Canada's University of Waterloo claim to have found that fat molecules in avocados tackle leukaemia stem cells, which are the root of the disease, as they grow into abnormal blood cells.
Worldwide, there are few drugs that tackle leukaemia stem cells.
In light of the findings, the researchers hope to create an avocado-derived drug they say could one day significantly increase life expectancy and quality of life for AML patients.
Professor Paul Spagnuolo, from the University of Waterloo, said: 'The stem cell is really the cell that drives the disease. The stem cell is largely responsible for the disease developing and it's the reason why so many patients with leukaemia relapse.
'We've performed many rounds of testing to determine how this new drug works at a molecular level and confirmed that it targets stem cells selectively, leaving healthy cells unharmed.
'Not only does avocatin B eliminate the source of AML, but its targeted, selective effects make it less toxic to the body, too.'
Spagnuolo has teamed up with the Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine (CCRM), in Toronto, and filed a patent application for the use of avocatin B to treat AML.
The drug is still years away from becoming approved for use in cancer clinics, but Spagnuolo is already performing experiments to prepare the drug for a Phase I clinical trial.This is the first round of trials where people diagnosed with AML could have access to the drug.
The research was published in the journal Cancer Research.
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