Desert plants, stressed by heat and drought, produce unusually potent defensive chemicals that show promise against breast cancer — and researchers argue these overlooked species deserve far more scientific attention as potential drug sources.
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Desert plants under chronic abiotic stress (heat, drought, UV) evolve hyperactive biosynthetic pathways that yield structurally unique secondary metabolites often more potent than those from plants in milder climates.
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Key anticancer mechanisms identified include apoptosis induction, cell-cycle arrest, angiogenesis inhibition, and disruption of major cancer signaling pathways (PI3K/AKT, MAPK, NF-κB).
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Despite a strong evolutionary rationale, arid-zone medicinal plants remain disproportionately underinvestigated in cancer research, representing a largely untapped source of anticancer lead compounds.
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