Natural compounds against leukaemia from Maltese flora

The University of Malta has an extensive cancer research portfolio. One such project being carried out by Neil Cutajar for his doctoral degree and supervised by Prof. Marion Zammit Mangion, Dr Lucienne Gatt and Prof. Pierre Schembri Wismayer, explores the therapeutic potential of naturally occurring compounds extracted from indigenous Maltese plants for the treatment of leukaemia. The latter is a form of cancer characterised by the uncontrolled proliferation of abnormal blood cells, which disrupts normal blood formation and immune function. While most conventional therapies are designed to destroy cancer cells, Neil's research investigates an alternative strategy: identifying plant-derived compounds capable of encouraging leukaemia cells to resume more normal patterns of growth and development.

The work begins with the extraction of complex mixtures containing a wide range of bioactive molecules from selected plant species. These extracts are then separated using preparative High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (Preparative HPLC), a technique that enables the isolation of individual fractions and purified compounds for further analysis. By testing each fraction independently, specific compounds exhibiting biological activity against leukaemia cells can be identified.

Once the isolated fractions or compounds are obtained, they are tested on several leukaemia cell models using a range of molecular and cellular approaches. Some of these approaches include testing for changes to cell viability, morphology, surface protein expression, and gene activity, providing insight into the mechanisms through which they may alter cancer cell behaviour. 

The project combines molecular biology, cell culture, analytical chemistry and biotechnology techniques to better understand the mechanisms involved and identify compounds with potential biological activity, highlighting the interdisciplinary nature of biomedical research. While the work remains in an early research phase, it contributes to international efforts aimed at understanding how naturally derived compounds may support future targeted therapeutic approaches in cancer research.