Two school students specialize in new derivatives for cancer treatment

Witnessing the day-to-day cancer robbing the lives of many people around, Bui Do Minh Quan and Do Phuong Mai (Chuyen Tran Phu High School, Hai Phong) studied and synthesized a new kind of potential derivatives. functional in cancer treatment, with 10 times the use of products on the market.

From my uncle's illness

Minh Quan was the one who came up with this idea when he witnessed his own uncle struggling to fight colon and cervical cancer. After pursuing treatments such as surgery or radiotherapy, the cancer cells in her uncle are temporarily not growing, but the side effects are inevitable.

Do Phuong Mai and Bui Do Minh Quan (students of Chuyen Tran Phu High School, Hai Phong) won the first prize at the National Science and Technology Contest for high school students in the 2016-2017 school year (Photo: Thanh Hung).

But 3 years later, Quan's uncle faced the blood cancer. "My uncle was allowed to take part in American clinical trials but at a very high cost, a pill of up to 33 USD and 4 capsules a day. Those who took part in the trial were also free at one time. The first few months, while the next stage if you want to continue, must bear a small expense, " Quan recalled.

Looking at his family and his father, he went to the hospital to treat him. The more worried he was when he thought about many people, many other families were fighting every day, wrestling with the disease of evil monsters.

" These tests are very expensive, but not all families can follow them. However, usually after only one year of use, these pills seem to be ineffective, the body lacks the drug and the index. Cancer cells in the blood increase.

So I think about finding a way to help you, and beyond that, to help other people with cancer. Or simply hold on to the disease for a longer time with a lower cost "- Quan thought so.

Luckily for Quan, when I was in the process of monitoring your treatment, I saw my grandfather, who was a medicine healer, often used the medicine from the ginger tree to give him some more and somehow worked. use.

" He sharpened the medicine for him to drink after the treatment of leukemia and found it to be somewhat effective, because the cancer test showed that the cancer cells remained stable and did not increase. Through the study of the materials, I also knew. Zerumbone has a strong anti-cancer ability but due to some limitations such as not permeable to human cell membranes, it has not been used much, so it almost stops as a functional food support. in the treatment of cancer " .

Therefore Quan wanted to try a new step in exploiting this compound.

" We hope to be able to produce Zerumbone derivatives but be able to get into human cells and become a cancer-fighting drug. From making a scientific assumption that impacting on one location Other, we are determined to test it and get quite successful results today, 'Quan said.

The idea is that, but because of the topic that relates much to Chemistry - Sinh, who is a specialized student of Ly, Quan thinks that he needs more support from a chemistry student of the school, Do Phuong Mai.

Phuong Mai had a bit of experience when she won the Second Prize in Biology last year in a scientific research competition.

" I also want to participate in a research topic that can help a lot of people 's lives, and I am also very interested in studying cancer. When Mr. Quan' s flag exchange ideas, I immediately agreed. intention to participate "- Mai shared.

The project "synthesizes new derivatives from Zerumbone and assesses the potential for use in cancer treatment" of young couples who are highly valued in practical applications.

Mai said derivatives that they produced outperformed the original and unprecedented Zerumbone active ingredient in the market when better polarizing or dissolving in human cell membranes, thereby increasing efficiency. cancer treatment.

" The market is not yet available but just stopped as a natural compound in the windy ginger tree, while it has a very strong anti-cancer activity, but is less polarized and almost insoluble in water. we want to convert it into a more soluble substance and increase its anticancer activity several times . "

Hope to make strong cancer medicine

Thinking of starting to work, but to get results today, the couple encounter many difficulties. In particular, the cost to buy chemicals in the process of conducting research is very expensive. " There are small bottles of chemicals, but up to 350 thousand VND / bottle, while having to use a lot and even have to do many times, we can succeed" - Quan said.

But thanks to the support of family and teachers, the couple finally overcome with unexpected success: New derivatives that they synthesized through research showed that it could be 10 times stronger than Zerumbone. times.

" If compared to a much-used mutation to measure cancer cell toxicity, our derivatives are nearly as active as this one," Quan cited.

Currently, they tested these derivatives on human cancer lines and soft agar media - a type of simulated environment on human cells.

Talking about the future direction, both share: "We have just stopped at synthesizing and synthesizing new derivatives, and whether or not to produce drugs is a very long process and needs help. of many scientists, including animal testing and the final step of testing on the human body.

Next time, we will study the target mechanism of anti-cancer as well as poisoning the healthy cells of substances. From there, determine how the dosage is appropriate for each patient . "

With what has been achieved, the project "Synthesis of new derivatives from Zerumbone and assessment of potential use in cancer treatment" by these two students has been awarded the First Prize at the Scientific Contest by the Organizing Committee. national arts for high school students in the 2016-2017 school year.