College of Medicine Researchers Partner with USDA Scientists to Discover Hemp Substance Kills Pediatric Cancer Cells in Lab
Introduction
The pediatric cancer research team at the University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria (UICOMP) discovered that a compound derived from the root of the hemp plant kills pediatric cancer cells in a laboratory setting. The discovery came about through a collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, also in Peoria.
When USDA researchers isolated several new compounds during analysis of hemp roots, they reached out to Manu Gnanamony, PhD, at UICOMP. There, the researchers identified two hemp-derived compounds with cytotoxic activity (ability to kill cells) across several pediatric cancer cell types, including hepatoblastoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and neuroblastoma. The strongest effects were observed in the compounds’ interaction with neuroblastoma.
The pediatric cancer research lab at UICOMP focuses on identifying new therapeutic agents and studying mechanisms of drug activity and drug resistance in pediatric cancers. Children with cancer often undergo prolonged courses of chemotherapy, radiation and surgery, yet effective treatment options remain limited for some pediatric tumors. Despite effective treatments, 20 percent of children with cancer will still die from their cancer, either because the tumor is not responsive or becomes resistant to treatment. This underscores the ongoing need to identify new and more effective anticancer drugs.
As a next step, Gnanamony’s team plans to understand how the hemp-derived compounds act at the molecular level in cancer cells. These findings and additional evaluation in the lab setting will help assess the compounds’ antitumor activity and tolerability, both critical steps toward determining their potential for further therapeutic development.