The secret of health is hidden in tobacco leaves! It helps in fighting cancer

Tobacco leaf: Scientists from various countries, including an alumnus of Allahabad University (AU), have claimed in a research finding that tobacco leaf has the potential to fight several forms of cancer. This finding presents a surprising paradox, because according to the WHO, tobacco use is responsible for a quarter of all cancer-related deaths worldwide and remains the primary cause of lung cancer.The remarkable discovery made by AU alumnus Amit Dubey, Indian scientist Ayesha Tufail and Malaysian researchers Mia Roni and Professor AKM Moyenul Haque has been published in the Journal of Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics, a publication of Taylor & Francis Ltd in the UK. According to the research findings, 4-[3-हाइड्रॉक्सीनिलिनो]-6, a unique anti-cancer compound called dimethoxyquinazoline can be extracted from tobacco leaves, with no apparent side effects.Amit Dubey said, “The proliferation, survival, adhesion, migration and differentiation of cancer cells are all significantly affected by the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Tumor cells have EGFR in their walls. They need this protein to survive and grow.” The research team used a collaborative approach to screen drug bank elements that target the EGFR protein.This was facilitated through the Drug Bank, a comprehensive free-access online database maintained by the University of Alberta and the Metabolomics Innovation Centre in Alberta Canada, from where the team obtained the compounds found in tobacco leaves for their study. Amit is a senior scientist at Quanta Calculus Pvt Ltd in Greater Noida.