Scientists Reveal How Plants Make Rare Anti‑Cancer Compound

Scientists at UBC Okanagan have discovered how plants create mitraphylline, a rare natural molecule that may help fight cancer.

Mitraphylline belongs to a special group of plant chemicals called spirooxindole alkaloids. These molecules have twisted ring shapes and are known for strong anti‑inflammatory and anti‑tumor effects.

Even after many years of study, the exact steps plants use to build these molecules were a mystery.

New Clues in Plant Chemistry

In 2023, Dr. Thu‑Thuy Dang’s team at UBC Okanagan’s Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science found the first plant enzyme that can twist a molecule into the spiro shape.

Building on that work, doctoral student Tuan‑Anh Nguyen discovered two more enzymes that finish the job. One enzyme folds the molecule into the right three‑dimensional form, and the second enzyme turns it into mitraphylline.

"It’s like finding the missing links on an assembly line," says Dr. Dang, Principal’s Research Chair in Natural Products Biotechnology. "We now know how nature builds these complex chemicals and how we might copy the process."

Why Mitraphylline Matters

Many useful natural compounds appear only in tiny amounts inside plants, making them hard and pricey to produce in labs. Mitraphylline is one of those scarce substances. It is found in small traces in tropical trees such as Mitragyna (kratom) and Uncaria (cat’s claw), both relatives of the coffee plant.

By identifying the enzymes that shape and assemble mitraphylline, researchers have a clear roadmap for making the compound—and similar molecules—in a greener, more affordable way.

"This gives us a sustainable chemistry route to access drugs with huge medical value," says Nguyen. "Our lab’s teamwork made this breakthrough possible."

Nguyen added, "Working on this project was amazing. The support at UBC Okanagan helped me grow as a researcher, and I look forward to future discoveries."

Teamwork Across Borders

The study combined Dr. Dang’s group at UBC Okanagan with Dr. Satya Nadakuduti’s team at the University of Florida.

Funding came from Canada’s Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Michael Smith Health Research BC Scholar Program, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

"Plants are brilliant natural chemists," says Dr. Dang. "Our next goal is to adapt these molecular tools to create a wider range of therapeutic compounds."