Tigilanol tiglate (also referred to as EBC-46) is a chemical compound with a storied history. Found naturally in the seeds of the blushwood tree, a rainforest plant local to Queensland Australia, the compound was identified by a biotechnology company as a potential cancer drug.
The company, called QBiotics Group, uses computers to search for specific types of bioactivity based on predictions of cell signaling pathways. They specifically look at plants endemic to Australia’s rainforests, which have a great deal of biodiversity (which also means a great deal of biologically active molecules).
After tigilanol tiglate was identified by the group, it was quickly shown to be a promising treatment for mast cell tumors in dogs. Today, there are four human clinical trials that are either running currently or are in the late planning stages. The compound is being investigated as a potential treatment for Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Melanoma and Soft Tissue Sarcoma.
Though the compound shows promise as a treatment in multiple types of cancer, availability of the compound is extremely limited. Its only known natural source is the blushwood tree, which grows in a small rainforest region.
Researchers at Stanford University have broken new ground in producing tigilanol tiglate in both a sustainable fashion and in quantities that can satisfy the demand for the compound. Paul Wender, study co-author, says that “for sustainable, reliable production of EBC-46 in the quantities we need, we really need to go the synthetic route.”
The researcher’s work involves a chemical process to add extra oxygen atoms to the B ring of a compound called phorbol. Phorbol, while also plant derived, is produced by more than 7,000 plant species worldwide. The result of this research is a scalable method of synthesizing tigilanol tiglate. The ability to synthesize this compound drastically increases opportunities for it to be used in research and clinically.
Sources: QBiotics Group, Nature Chemistry
