Drugs found in crocuses could help beat cancer

SCIENTISTS have revealed the latest weapon in the fight against cancer – flower power.

A drug made from crocuses wiped out tumours and cured the disease in one treatment.

It is thought to work against almost all types of cancer, including breast, bowel, lung and prostate – the four biggest killers.

The so-called cancer ‘smart bomb’ also seems to be free of side-effects.

Tests on patients could start in months, and the drug could be available within just five years.

The drug is based on colchicine, an extract of the autumn crocus known to have anti-cancer properties but thought too toxic for humans. To get round this, scientists attached a chemical ‘tail’ to the colchicine that deactivates it until it reaches the cancer.

Once there, the tail is cut off by an enzyme found in tumours, allowing the drug to break down blood vessels supplying the tumours with the oxygen and nourishment they need to grow.

In tests on mice with cancer, one dose wiped out all the tumours for good, the British Science Festival heard.

The drug’s British inventor, Professor Laurence Patterson, of Flower power: The autumn crocus Bradford University, said: ‘They were effectively cured – and that was a single dose, which is quite unusual.’

Dr Kat Arney, of Cancer Research UK, said: ‘These are interesting findings. But we’ll need to wait for results from clinical trials before we know whether this experimental drug is safe and effective for patients.’