translated from Spanish: They identify ahuehuete fungus to produce compound against breast cancer

Queretaro-researchers and students of the national technological Institute (Tecnm), campus Celaya Mexico, and the Institute of biology of the University national Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM) ) study of endophytic fungi from the ahuehuete tree (Taxodium mucronatum) for the production of taxol, a compound that is used in drugs for the treatment of breast and uterus cancer.
 In an article published in Conacyt and written by Israel Pérez Valencia, reported that the project is headed by the PhD student in science of chemical engineering of the Tecnm in Celaya, Nadia Mendoza Landín, with the advice of the Professor-researcher of This Institute, Eleazar maximum Escamilla Silva, who explained that the aim is to open new possibilities for the production of taxol at the laboratory level, thus avoiding the immoderate felling trees where the compound is extracted.
 “Nadia Mendoza Landín and Dr. Eleazar maximum Escamilla Silva, Tecnm in Celaya.” We work in collaboration with the Institute of chemistry of the University national autonomous of Mexico, under the direction of doctor Guillermo Delgado Lamas. The first taxol study researchers were Canadians, who identified it in a tree (Taxus globosa) which grows in the Sierra Gorda, Hidalgo and Chiapas. They extract the taxol and use it as a basis for the development of a synthetic compound that is used for the treatment of breast cancer, since their proliferation stops.” He warned that, unlike the natural, synthetic taxol generates side effects in patients, so Canadian and Japanese researchers began to cut down these trees in Mexico to bring them to their countries.
“Before this, our proposal departed find microorganisms in these trees that were able to produce taxol and this prevent their felling. We went to the Sierra Gorda along with a group of researchers from the Center for research and advanced studies (Cinvestav), led by Dr. Luis Bernardo Flores Cotera, and brought us some branches to isolate microorganisms that do produce taxol, in addition to We analyze other trees that could produce taxanes, like ahuehuete, where we identified interesting compounds – including the taxol – in its branches and fruits”.
 With the collaboration of doctor Guillermo Delgado Lamas, of the Institute of chemistry of the UNAM, student Nadia Mendoza managed to isolate compounds in endophytic organisms present in the tree of ahuehuete, where generators taxol fungi which are found cultivating at biotechnological level to prevent damage to the trees.
“Of all the microorganisms already we could isolate and identify the fungus that gives very good yields in the production of taxol. We are producing lab by fermentation. The student Nadia Mendoza was to make a stay with the slim doctor Lamas, where could characterize the taxol and other antioxidant compounds that are of great interest.”
He announced that the next stage of this project involves purification taxol and biological tests in vitro with antigens, as well as tests on rats.
“That implies a new collaboration with Dr. Minerva Ramos, of the Autonomous University of Querétaro (UAQ).” They have a vivarium of friendly rats. The idea is to induce cancer in some of them to then supply the taxol in their diets, observe their effects and go to evaluating their morphological, physiological and biochemical characteristics. The progress of this investigation are going to present at an International Congress of chemistry and biochemistry, which will be held in Rome, Italy, November”.
 

Original source in Spanish