Plant Derived Compound Could Help Treat Leukaemia

Published on: 30 Aug, 2025
Updated on: 1 Sep, 2025

Coleus plant

A compound derived from a plant could hold the key to improving treatment for an aggressive type of leukaemia, according to new research from the University of Surrey.

The research, published in the British Journal of Pharmacology, found that forskolin, taken from the roots of the plant Coleus forskohlii, both slows leukaemia cell growth and enhances the effect of chemotherapy.

Forskolin molecular structure

The team focused on KMT2A-rearranged Acute Myeloid Leukaemia, a subtype of the disease that is especially resistant to treatment. Surrey Scientists discovered that forskolin works in two ways: activating a protein that switches off cancer-driving genes, and blocking a mechanism that normally allows cancer cells to resist chemotherapy drugs.

This second effect made leukaemia cells far more sensitive to daunorubicin, a standard chemotherapy drug. By preventing the cancer cells from pumping the drug out, forskolin allowed more of it to remain inside the cells, boosting its effectiveness.

Dr Maria Teresa Esposito, Senior Lecturer in Biochemistry at the University of Surrey, said: “Our findings highlight an exciting dual mechanism for forskolin. It not only directly attacks leukaemia cells but also makes chemotherapy more powerful. This could one day mean lower chemotherapy doses and fewer severe side effects for patients.”

The study was supported by Leukaemia UK. Dr Simon Ridley, the charity’s Director of Research and Advocacy, said:

“AML is one of the most aggressive cancers. This work improves our understanding and opens the door to kinder, more effective treatments.”

The project brought together researchers from Surrey, Roehampton, Queen Mary University of London, UCL’s Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, and the Centre for Genomic Regulation in Barcelona.