Plant stress hormones: A novel class of anti-cancer molecules active selectively against transformed human cells Orit Fingrut, Ronit Rotem, Eliezer Flescher Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. Cell stress has been shown to induce various outcomes including inhibition of cell proliferation and cell death. Plant stress hormones are capable of inducing plant cell death. Since the plant stress hormone salicylic acid induces apoptosis in several types of human cancer cells, we hypothesized that plant stress hormones share the ability to adversely affect cancer cells. We found that salicylate suppressed the proliferation of lymphoblastic leukemia (Molt-4), prostate (LNCaP), breast (MCF-7) and melanoma (SK-28) human cancer cells. Jasmonic acid (JA), a plant stress hormone belonging to the Jasmonate family (a class of molecules that has never before been studied as anti-cancer agents), induced death in Molt-4 cells and caused suppression of proliferation in the other human cancer cells mentioned above. Most effectively, two other members of the Jasmonate family: methyl jasmonate (MJ) and cis-jasmone, induced death in each of these human cancer cells. Plant stress hormones did not affect normal human blood lymphocytes or erythrocytes, in contrast to their strong effect on cancer cells. We analyzed the death process in Molt-4 cells. JA and MJ caused apoptotic death, as determined by characteristic nuclear morphology, flow cytometric DNA profile and caspase-3 activity. In addition, jasmonates induced mitochondrial membrane depolarization, determined by flow cytometry. This event is associated in many systems with mitochondrial permeability transition, leading to apoptotic cell death. Furthermore, we found jasmonate-induced depolarization to be cyclosporin-inhibitable, suggesting a role for the mitochondrial permeabiliy transition pore. Importantly, mice bearing EL-4 lymphoma and treated p.o. with MJ, survived for significantly (p=0.00953) longer periods of time than untreated mice. Our findings suggest that jasmonates are potentially a novel class of anti-cancer drugs. Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.