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... that a weed called wild tomatillo has been shown to halt and even dissolve aggressive cancer tumors?

Recently, researchers from the University of Kansas were honored for discovering the remarkable cancer-fighting properties of the wild tomatillo (Physalis longifolia). This humble member of the nightshade family is a weed you might easily spot in your own yard if you live in the Midwest, where it grows abundantly (as it does in several other areas of North America).

Historians have documented a long history of medicinal use of wild tomatillo by numerous Native American tribes. The Omaha, Ponca, and Winnebago tribes used wild tomatillo to treat headache and stomachache and to dress injuries. The Iroquois used it against sexually transmitted diseases, and the Lakota tribe used it to enhance appetite.

Soon, this powerhouse plant could transform the way conventional doctors treat cancer. That's because it contains a minimum of 14 potent anti-cancer compounds that have demonstrated the ability to halt and even dissolve aggressive tumors in animals.

The Discovery of Wild Tomatillo

A scientist by the name of Barbara Timmerman pioneered the exciting research of wild tomatillo. Timmerman—a medicinal chemist and co-director of Kansas University's Native Medicinal Plant Research program—was leading a bio-prospecting project in South America in the 1990s when her professional curiosity led her to a remarkable "accidental" discovery.

Timmerman had originally intended to investigate a medicinal plant native to the region of South America where the bio-prospecting project was located. Ultimately, however, Timmerman had to abandon the research due to the high expense and complex logistics related to travel and other factors.

Instead, Timmerman decided to search for related plant species closer to home. She partnered with another scientist—Kelly Kindscher of the Kansas Biological Survey—and together, the two began scouring the American Midwest.

"Our research led us to Physalis longifolia, which is a fairly common plant throughout the Midwest," says Timmerman. "And from there, we discovered not only the molecule we were seeking, but also the 14 new compounds, most of which have turned out to be even more potent than the original one we were looking for. Discovery is a beautiful thing when it happens like that."

Wild Tomatillo Dissolves Aggressive Tumors in Animal Studies

Dr. Mark Cohen is a surgical oncologist and translational clinician scientist at the Kansas University Medical Center. He collaborated with Timmerman and Kindscher in conducting the lab research that pinpointed the 14 anti-cancer compounds contained in wild tomatillo.

Animal trials have already shown that the compounds (known as withanolides) are capable of both fighting and killing cancer cells. In test mice fed wild tomatillo, aggressive tumors shrank quickly and dramatically. Some of the tumors actually dissolved completely. And none of the mice displayed signs of side effects or toxicity from the treatment.

Tomatillo's cancer-fighting compounds target a wide range of cancers, including...

Melanomas
Thyroid cancer
Head and neck squamous cell cancer
Breast cancer
Glioblastoma brain tumors
Esophageal cancer
Pancreatic cancer
Certain leukemias

Award-Winning Research Breakthrough

The anti-cancer discoveries documented by Timmerman are so significant that the she and her team were honored recently at the highly exclusive University Research & Entrepreneurship Symposium in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

"We're excited by the preliminary results," says Timmerman. "While our research is still in the early stages, we're optimistic that some of these 14 molecules could lead to new plant-based drugs or dietary supplements."

Availability and Use of Wild Tomatillo

Because this research is in such early stages, it is still challenging to find commercial products containing extracts of wild tomatillo. However, that will likely change soon now that Timmerman's research has been showcased at the prestigious University Research & Entrepreneurship Symposium in Cambridge. The Symposium attracts investors and venture capitalists specifically seeking promising new treatments to support and develop.

As research on wild tomatillo continues, we might expect to find tomatillo extracts available for purchase in the near future.

Help fight cancer, study finds

Tuesday, May 08, 2012 by: Ethan A. Huff, staff writer
(NaturalNews) A multidisciplinary research team from theUniversity of Kansas(KU) has made a pioneering discovery in the realm of natural, plant-based cancer treatments. Preliminary findings published in theJournal of Natural Products(JNP) reveal that wild tomatillo (Physalis longifolia), a weed commonly found throughout the midwestern Great Plains and in other areas of North America, possesses at least 14 unique anti-cancer compounds that could one day change the way doctors approach cancer treatment.

 
During a bioprospecting project in South America back in the 1990s, Barbara Timmermann, a medicinal chemist and co-director of KU’sNative Medicinal Plant Research Program, made an interesting discovery. A plant native to that particular region turned out to contain anti-cancer compounds, which prompted Timmermann, whose work involves identifying plants with medicinal properties, to search out ways to investigate it further.

 
But because of cost, distance, and other physical and financial barriers, Timmermann was never able to return to South America to perform the necessary analyses and finish her research. So she reportedly joined up with Kelly Kindscher, a senior scientist at theKansas Biological Survey, to look for similar plants in the American Midwest. And much to their surprise, wild tomatillo turned out not only to contain the compound in question, but also to possess even more anti-cancer compounds than the original South American plant.

 
“Our research led us toPhysalis longifolia, which is a fairly common plant throughout the Midwest,” said Timmerman. “And from there, we discovered not only the molecule we were seeking, but also the 14 new compounds, most of which have turned out to be even more potent than the original one we were looking for. Discovery is a beautiful thing when it happens like that.”

Animal trials show wild tomatillo can effectively mitigate, cure cancer
After first identifying wild tomatillo, Timmerman and Kindscher sought the help of Dr. Mark Cohen, a surgical oncologist and translational clinician scientist at the KUMedical Center, to analyze the plant.

The three successfully identified the 14 compounds in question, known aswithanolides, which in animal trials have already been shown to both fight and eradicate cancer cells.

 
According to Dr. Cohen’s laboratory analysis, these 14 compounds target melanomas, thyroid cancer, head and neck squamous cell cancer, breast cancer, glioblastoma brain tumors, esophageal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and certain leukemias. When fed wild tomatillo, test mice with these and other cancers saw their tumors shrink drastically, and in some cases even completely dissolve, without any negative side effects or noticeable toxicity.

 
The breakthrough findings are so significant, in fact, that Timmerman and her team’s work was featured at the recentUniversity Research & Entrepreneurship Symposiumin Cambridge, Massachusetts. The event is an exclusive, invite-only showcase of the nation’s most promising new university-based technologies for industry leaders, venture capitalists, and entrepreneurs (http://www.universitysymposium.com/).

 
“We’re excited by the preliminary results,” added Timmermann. “While our research is still in the early stages, we’re optimistic that some of these 14 molecules could lead to new plant-based drugs or dietary supplements.”

 
Currently, wild tomatillo extracts, powders, and supplements are not widely or commercially available to the public. But as research on wild tomatillo continues to emerge, it is expected that wild tomatillo products might soon hit the market in the form of all-natural, food-based supplements.

 
Sources for this article include:
http://medicalxpress.com
http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com
Learn more:http://www.naturalnews.com/035799_cancer_tomatillo_weeds.html#ixzz1uITuSGV2