Status of Plants Against Cancer

The remarks herein are another reminder of the foreword to Jonathan L. Hartwell s Plants Used Against Cancer A Survey (1982a), written by botanist James A. (Jim) Duke, then of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Duke s words have become prophetic, and in one way or another have been often dted. Again consider, therefore, the following  

I view the publication as one epitaph to the cancer-screening program involving the National Cancer Institute with the U.S. Department of Agriculture for nearly 25 years. 

In a blow to natural-products chemistry in the U.S., the Board of Scientific Counselors, Division of Cancer Treatment, National Cancer Institute, voted on October 2, 1981, to abolish the NCI research contract program concerned with the development of antitumor agents from plants. I fear this signals the end of significant government-sponsored research in the U.S. on medicinal plants, leaving the research to the pharmaceutical firms, who have shown relative disinterest in plant products. 

The situation has since turned aroimd, at least in some ways, as efforts continue by both the government and the pharmaceutieal companies to further assay plant sources — and whatever else comes to mind. 

As previously indicated, at the time of publieation of Hartwell s book, Jim Duke cited in the foreword that abont 35,000 higha- plant species had been screoied for activity against cancer. Of these, abont3,000 had dranonstrated reproducible aetivity, a small fraction of these being potential eandidates for eUnical trials. The seareh has sinee been expanded, and eontinnes. 

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