A natural compound called forskolin may offer new hope for patients with a dangerous form of leukemia known as KMT2A-rearranged Acute Myeloid Leukemia (KMT2A-r AML).
This type of leukemia is especially aggressive and difficult to treat, but researchers at the University of Surrey have discovered that forskolin could make a big difference in how well treatments work.
Forskolin comes from a plant and has been used in traditional medicine for many years. In this new study, published in the British Journal of Pharmacology, scientists found that forskolin can slow down the growth of leukemia cells. Even more exciting, it can make standard chemotherapy drugs work better against this tough cancer.
One of the main ways forskolin helps is by turning on a protein in cells called Protein Phosphatase 2A (PP2A). This protein plays a role in controlling how cells grow.
In leukemia, certain genes like MYC, HOXA9, and HOXA10 are too active, helping cancer cells grow out of control. Forskolin reduces the activity of these genes, which helps stop the cancer from spreading.
But the researchers also found something surprising. Forskolin made leukemia cells much more sensitive to a chemotherapy drug called daunorubicin. This drug is often used to treat AML, but cancer cells can sometimes fight it off by using a protein called P-glycoprotein 1.
This protein acts like a pump, pushing the drug out of the cancer cell before it can do its job. Forskolin seems to block this pump, letting more of the drug stay inside the cancer cells. This means the drug becomes more powerful without needing to increase the dose.
Dr. Maria Teresa Esposito, a biochemistry expert at the University of Surrey, said that forskolin works in two helpful ways. It not only weakens the cancer directly, but also boosts the power of existing chemotherapy.
This combination might allow doctors to use lower doses of chemotherapy drugs, which would help reduce the harsh side effects that often come with AML treatment.
Leukemia UK, one of the groups supporting the research, is hopeful about the results. Dr. Simon Ridley from Leukemia UK said this kind of research could help improve survival rates for AML, which is one of the most aggressive types of cancer. He emphasized how important it is to find treatments that are both more effective and gentler on patients.
This research involved a large team of scientists from several universities and research centers, including the University of Roehampton, Queen Mary University of London, University College London, and a research center in Barcelona, Spain. Their teamwork helped confirm that forskolin has real potential as part of a future leukemia treatment plan.
In summary, forskolin may do more than just slow down leukemia—it might help make existing treatments work better too. This natural compound could lead to new, more gentle ways to treat one of the deadliest cancers, giving patients more hope for survival and a better quality of life.
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