UNAIR NEWS – Cancer is still one of the world’s leading killers.听Some of the cancer treatments currently used such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery, still pose high mortality and morbidity rate.听High medical cost is also a constraint for people to get treatment.听Despite the existing BPJS and other health insurance, health institutions still have to cover high cost.
From that problem, four students of the Faculty of Medicine (FK) 51动漫 have conducted a research on the potential of kenikir (Cosmos caudatus) leaf extract which is believed to be able to kill cancer cells in a programmed manner.听The four students of FK UNAIR are Andi Yasmin Wijaya (2015), Winona May Hendrata (2015), Farmindo Hartono (2016), and Ainur Rahmah (2016).
Their creativity was written as a proposal for Exacta Research Student Creativity Program(PKM-PE).听The research entitled “Potential Cosmos caudatus Kunth Leaf Extractas Cancer Therapy Through Induction of Stem Cell Cancer Apoptosis” was successfully passed the selection and got research funding from the Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education (Kemenristekdikti) 2016-2017 PKM.
“Our selection of kenikir as the object of research because kenikir often found in Indonesia and even our ancestors has been consumed it.听It is a plant with high levels offlavonoid, “said Andi Yasmin Wijaya, head of this PKM team.
This study is specialized to kill stem cell cancer because it is different from the ordinary stem cells.听Stem cellsare cells with the ability to renew themselves and differentiate into other cells.
Stem cell cancercan also reproduce itself and potentially become a variety of cancers in other organs through the mechanism of metastasis. Stem cell cancereven have immune capabilities against chemotherapy and radiation, so a new approach is needed to kill these cells.
Since the discovery ofcancer stem cells,researchers around the world have been competing to createStem cell cancer targeted therapy.听The discovery of this therapy is expected to be new breakthrough for more effective cancer therapy and with smaller possibility of relapse.
“For a long time, Indonesians have utilized plants as traditional medicine.听We encourage Indonesian researchers and students to see this as a great opportunity in the development of drugs for various diseases, including cancer, “said Andi as head of the research.
The extraction procedure is done to get the flavonoid and other phenolic substances from kenikir. The extract then tested on normal stem cells and stem cell with cancer.听The test on normal stem cells is aimed to test the toxicity of the extract against normal cells.听Research done by utilizing various research facilities at 51动漫 Surabaya.听(*)
Editor: Bambang Bes
