There’s hope for cancer patients and it comes from a remote part of the planet. Turns out conifer trees from the cold reaches of Siberia contain compounds called Terpenoids, which can kill cancer cells. Scientists at the Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology and MIPT in Moscow have discovered that Siberian fir Terpenoids can ‘switch on’ genes that halt the spread of tumours. The experiment focused on colon cancer cells and pancreatic cancer cells and was conducted in a Petri dish. Their research on normal cells revealed that this group of Terpenoids also ‘switch on’ genes associated with longevity in old cells. This means—you guessed it!—scientists may have also stumbled upon the proverbial fountain of youth. The results of the study were published in biomedical journal Oncotarget.

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Featured in Harmony — Celebrate Age Magazine
May 2017