IIT Madras and IIT Mandi Metabolically Engineer Plant Cells To Produce Anti-Cancer Drug

Researchers from IIT Madras and IIT Mandi have applied metabolic engineering to modify the plant cells of Nothapodytes nimmoniana, amplifying the production of Camptothecin, a vital compound utilized in cancer treatment. Get details here 

Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) and IIT Mandi researchers have utilized metabolic engineering to enhance the production of Camptothecin in the plant cells of Nothapodytes nimmoniana, a compound employed in cancer treatment. The findings from this research could open avenues for the cost-effective commercial manufacturing of Camptothecin and other crucial medicinal alkaloids. 

The researchers from the Plant Cell Technology Lab of IIT Madras have developed a genome-scale metabolic model for N. nimmoniana plant cells using Computational tools. This can be a major boost to produce cancer-treating drugs as Camptothecin, the third most in-demand alkaloid, is commercially extracted in India from Nothapodytes nimmoniana, which is an endangered plant.

Camptothecin (CPT) is an important anti-cancer drug lead molecule for high-value drugs like Topotecan and Irinotecan. It is a potent topoisomerase I inhibitor extracted mainly from - Camptotheca acuminata (native to Eastern Asia) and Nothapodytes nimmoniana (native to India). However, the conjunction of climate change and extensive deforestation undertaken for CPT extraction has pushed these plants into the endangered species category.

In the current research, metabolic engineering of the plant cells using a genome-scale metabolic model was led by Ms. Sarayu Murali, PhD student, IIT Madras, Dr. Maziya Ibrahim, Computational Systems Biology Lab, IIT Madras, Prof. Karthik Raman and Prof. Smita Srivastava, Department of Biotechnology, IIT Madras, along with Dr. Shyam K. Masakapalli and Ms. Shagun Saini from Metabolic Systems Biology Lab, IIT Mandi.

The research was funded by the Science and Engineering Board (SERB) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India. This study was recently published in the peer-reviewed Journal Frontiers of Plant Science. Highlighting the importance of this research, the Principal investigator of the project Prof. Smita Srivastava, Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Department of Biotechnology, IIT Madras, said, “Integration of metabolic engineering with bioprocess engineering principles can ensure enhanced and sustainable production of Camptothecin, to continuously meet its increasing market demand in minimum time and cost in addition to natural resource conservation.”

Cancer has been a leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for nearly 10 million deaths in 2020 according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In India, the number of cases is expected to rise to 15.7 lakh by 2025 according to the Indian Council of Medical Research-National Cancer Registry Programme (ICMR-NCRP 2020). With increasing cancer incidences each day, the demand for enhanced production of anti-cancer drugs has been a compelling need of the hour.

Read More 

• IIT Madras, Sevalaya To Sign two MoUs in Education and Healthcare, Get Details Here
• IIT Madras develops 3D-Printed Face Implants for patients suffering from Black Fungus