IIT Madras Boosts Anti-Cancer Drug Production Via Plant Cell Engineering
The researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) and IIT Mandi have successfully metabolically engineered the plant cells of Nothapodytes nimmoniana to significantly increase the production of Camptothecin, a crucial anti-cancer drug, the institute informed in a press statement on Thursday.
The breakthrough study, led by the Plant Cell Technology Lab at IIT Madras, utilised a genome-scale metabolic model to enhance the yield of Camptothecin, the third most in-demand alkaloid commercially extracted from India's endangered N. nimmoniana plant.
This innovation holds promise for the efficient and sustainable production of essential anti-cancer drugs while reducing dependence on endangered plant species. The research, funded by the Science and Engineering Board (SERB) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, was recently published in the peer-reviewed Journal Frontiers of Plant Science, the statement read.
