by Hemalatha Manikandan on September 4, 2023

Tobacco Leaf-derived Substance Aids to Fight Cancer

4-[3-Hydroxyanilino]-6,7-Dimethoxyquinazoline, a compound derived from tobacco leaves, has the potential to target EGFR protein in cancer cells exhibiting its anti-cancer properties. This research was led by a team of scientists from various countries, including an alumnus of Allahabad University (AU).

Tobacco and Nicotine Make Good Pesticides


Tobacco is now being considered by scientists for use as a mass-produced alternative to commercial pesticides, although it has been a natural organic pesticide on a small scale for centuries.

Tobacco Leaves Role in Cancer: From Cause To Cure?

The findings offer a striking contrast because tobacco usage, according to WHO, is accountable for a quarter of all cancer related fatalities worldwide and remains the primary cause of lung cancer .

The remarkable discovery by AU alumnus Amit Dubey, along with Indian scientist Aisha Tufail and Malaysian researchers Miah Roney and Prof A K M Moyeenul Huq, has been published in the "Journal of Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics", a publication of Taylor & Francis Ltd in the UK.

Analyzing Tobacco Leaves Anti-Cancer properties at Molecular Level

According to the study, a singular anti-cancer compound termed "4-[3-Hydroxyanilino]-6,7-Dimethoxyquinazoline" can be extracted from tobacco leaves, exhibiting no discernible side effects.

Link Between Tobacco Use and HPV, Oral Cancers Discovered


A new study released Tuesday said tobacco products up the risk of contracting a sexually transmitted virus linked to mouth and throat cancer.


"The proliferation, survival, adhesion, migration, and differentiation of cancer cells are all significantly influenced by the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). The walls of tumor cells contain EGFR. They require this protein to survive and develop," explained Amit Dubey.

The research team used a collaborative approach to screen drug bank compounds targeting the EGFR protein. This was facilitated through the drug bank, a comprehensive, free-access online database maintained by the University of Alberta and the Metabolomics Innovation Centre in Alberta, Canada, from which the team sourced the compound found in tobacco leaves for their study.

Reference :

  1. Tobacco and Cancer -(https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/tobacco/index.htm)