Odisha scientist develops drug to treat breast cancer

Bhubaneswar: In a major breakthrough in research in breast cancer, Odisha scientist Dr Sandip Kumar Mishra developed a medicine that will work as a miracle for the patients.

Dr Mishra, a senior scientist working at Bhubaneswar based Institute of Life Sciences (ILS) developed the drug called ‘Artemisinin’ from Estrogen Related Receptor beta (ERRβ) molecule and leaves and flowers of Sweet wormwood plant (botanical name – Artemisia annua) claiming it to be successful in curing the breast cancer patients.

He proved that the cancer cells migration and invasion can be restricted and controlled by Artemisinin in estrogen receptor positive (ER-positive) breast cancer cells.

Notably, Artemisinin blocks the estrogenic stimulation of MCF7 breast cancer cell proliferation.

The finding, which was published in the Nature group of journal’s British Journal of Cancer, will help women suffering from breast cancer.

The study has been accepted for publication in the International journal by Biomed Central, BMC Cancer.

Dr Mishra, the head of the molecular oncology lab in the department of cancer biology at ILS, had recently found ERR beta molecule, which is used in the drug Artemisinin, to replace deregulated Estrogen Receptor (ER) alpha positive breast cancer.

In association with AIIMS professor Dr Dilip Kumar Parida and Dr Manoj Kumar Mohanty, Dr Mishra has made a blueprint for clinical examination of different types of cancer to treat the breast cancer by using the drug.

Prior to joining the ILS, Dr Mishra was working as the faculty at MD Anderson Cancer Center, in Houston, Texas.