Success in Extracting Highly Effective Anti-Cancer Substance from Cloned Yew

Sichuan University professor demonstrates unique plant transgenic cloning technology, with the next step focused on anti-cancer plants. "We have already used transgenic cloning technology to successfully clone two plants with different genes, and the next step is to apply this technology to cloning the anti-cancer drug paclitaxel." Recently, Professor Wang Li from the Plant Research Laboratory of the College of Life Sciences at Sichuan University showed reporters a transgenic cloning technology little known to outsiders.

A plant cloned from a leaf. In the laboratory, Professor Wang pointed to a green plant about 20 cm tall and said: "This plant is called Chonglou, a plant with medicinal value. However, this plant did not grow from a seed, but from a single leaf. We took a small leaf from a branch of a Chonglou plant and used cloning technology to cultivate this identical 'twin' of it." "In another experimental vessel, some white and pale yellow protrusions began to appear on the edge of the leaf placed on the culture medium. After about half a month, the leaf edge will swell, and some white or yellow protrusions will emerge. These protrusions will soon slowly begin to sprout, until they eventually grow into a jasmine plant. Moreover, their 'appearance' is almost exactly the same, like a pair of 'twins.'" Professor Wang explained this seemingly magical cloning technology to reporters. The next step is to clone paclitaxel. "This cell cloning technology we are researching will mainly be used for cloning endangered plants and progressively endangered plants. Next, we expect to clone paclitaxel, hoping to alleviate the fate faced by some endangered plants."

Professor Wang Li said: Paclitaxel is an anti-cancer drug extracted from the yew (also called Taxus), and the yew is only scattered in places such as Yunnan and Tibet in China, and is currently the only anti-cancer drug that has passed international certification. According to data, in just 10 years, 80% of Yunnan's yew resources have been consumed, and the yew has also been rated as a rare and endangered tree species in the world.