Scientists have discovered a powerful plant-derived compound that can force aggressive breast cancer cells to destroy themselves, offering hope for new treatment strategies against one of the most difficult forms of the disease.
The discovery centres on a molecule extracted from the plant Munronia henryi, which produces natural chemicals known as limonoids used by plants for defense. Researchers identified two previously unknown limonoids from the plant, but one compound, named DHL-11, showed particularly strong anti-cancer activity.
The findings, published in the scientific journal Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B, suggest the compound may be effective against Triple‑Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC), one of the most aggressive forms of breast cancer with limited targeted treatment options.
Compound Attacks Cancer Cells in Multiple Ways
Laboratory experiments showed that DHL-11 interferes with several critical processes that allow cancer cells to grow and spread. The compound slowed the growth of TNBC cells, reduced their ability to migrate and forced them into a stage of cell-cycle arrest before triggering apoptosis a natural process where cells self-destruct.
Researchers also observed that treated cancer cells accumulated higher levels of reactive oxygen species and DNA damage. This combination overwhelms the cells’ ability to repair themselves, eventually leading to their destruction.
The most striking finding involved how the compound disrupts a crucial enzyme called IMPDH2, which is essential for producing guanine, a building block of DNA. Instead of blocking the enzyme’s active site, DHL-11 binds to a different pocket on the protein and interferes with its interaction with another protein called FANCI.
This disruption causes the breakdown of IMPDH2 inside cancer cells. As levels of the enzyme drop, guanine production decreases, oxidative stress rises and DNA damage increases, creating a cascade of effects that push cancer cells toward death.
The compound’s anti-cancer effects were also tested in more advanced experimental models. DHL-11 significantly slowed the growth of breast cancer patient-derived organoids, which closely mimic real tumors.
In animal studies, the compound reduced tumor growth and metastasis in TNBC models while showing favourable safety profiles.
Researchers say DHL-11 could represent a new class of targeted therapies known as enzyme degraders, particularly for cancers that show high levels of IMPDH2.
Although further studies and clinical trials are needed before the compound can be developed into a treatment, the discovery highlights the growing potential of plant-derived molecules in modern cancer research and drug development.