lants
and other living organisms have great potential to treat human disease.
There are two distinct types of biomedical research that seek to develop
this potential. One type of research explores the value of medicinal plants
as traditionally used, which constitute the only available medicines for
most people in poor countries. Studies of these plants have the potential
to determine which plants are most potent, optimize dosages and dose forms,
and identify safety risks. Another type of research uses bioassays to
identify single molecules from plants that have interesting bioactivities
in isolation and might be useful lead compounds for the development of
pharmaceutical drugs. The William L. Brown Center collaborates in research
of both types.
The
WLBC, initially known as the Applied Research Department, was created
to handle MBG’s participation in natural products discovery programs,
which supply vouchered bulk plant materials to be screened via bioassays.
Over the years, the WLBC has collected samples in several countries for
a variety of government, academic, and corporate partners. Current projects
include a collection program for the University of Mississippi’s
National Center for Natural Products Research, centered in the U.S. for
several years and now expanding to Viet Nam, and the International Cooperative
Biodiversity Group project in Madagascar. Headed by Dr. David Kingston
at Virginia Tech, this long-running project brings academic and corporate
labs into cooperation with Malagasy national research agencies and the
National Cancer Institute. The Garden has long been a leader in developing
ethical collecting agreements; local partners always have benefit-sharing
agreements and receive up-front compensation from the funding source to
support local capacity-building efforts.
In
working with medical researchers to validate the traditional uses of medicinal
plants, the WLBC’s most important role is to ensure that research
materials are correctly identified and of adequate quality, and that their
identity and source are documented, such as by preserving voucher specimens
of raw bulk plant materials used. These practices are necessary in order
for research results to be interpretable and replicable. For example,
we are a part of The International Center for Indigenous Phytotherapy
Studies (TICIPS), a consortium of researchers primarily from Missouri
and South African institutions, which is preparing to do a clinical trial
on Lessertia frutescens (Sutherlandia, or Cancer Bush). We ensured
that voucher samples of the commercially farmed research material were
preserved. In addition, we collected samples of this and related species
from throughout the Cape floristic region for chemical study. The rationale
for doing this was that many traditional medicines are locally made, not
from the expensive cultivar but from wild populations, which may vary
in chemical content due to either genetic or environmental reasons. For
medical scientists to know how broadly their research results apply to
other products that may be used, they will need to know where their product
fits into the range of variation found in those products.
lants
and other living organisms have great potential to treat human disease.
There are two distinct types of biomedical research that seek to develop
this potential. One type of research explores the value of medicinal plants
as traditionally used, which constitute the only available medicines for
most people in poor countries. Studies of these plants have the potential
to determine which plants are most potent, optimize dosages and dose forms,
and identify safety risks. Another type of research uses bioassays to
identify single molecules from plants that have interesting bioactivities
in isolation and might be useful lead compounds for the development of
pharmaceutical drugs. The William L. Brown Center collaborates in research
of both types.
The
WLBC, initially known as the Applied Research Department, was created
to handle MBG’s participation in natural products discovery programs,
which supply vouchered bulk plant materials to be screened via bioassays.
Over the years, the WLBC has collected samples in several countries for
a variety of government, academic, and corporate partners. Current projects
include a collection program for the University of Mississippi’s
National Center for Natural Products Research, centered in the U.S. for
several years and now expanding to Viet Nam, and the International Cooperative
Biodiversity Group project in Madagascar. Headed by Dr. David Kingston
at Virginia Tech, this long-running project brings academic and corporate
labs into cooperation with Malagasy national research agencies and the
National Cancer Institute. The Garden has long been a leader in developing
ethical collecting agreements; local partners always have benefit-sharing
agreements and receive up-front compensation from the funding source to
support local capacity-building efforts.
In
working with medical researchers to validate the traditional uses of medicinal
plants, the WLBC’s most important role is to ensure that research
materials are correctly identified and of adequate quality, and that their
identity and source are documented, such as by preserving voucher specimens
of raw bulk plant materials used. These practices are necessary in order
for research results to be interpretable and replicable. For example,
we are a part of The International Center for Indigenous Phytotherapy
Studies (TICIPS), a consortium of researchers primarily from Missouri
and South African institutions, which is preparing to do a clinical trial
on Lessertia frutescens (Sutherlandia, or Cancer Bush). We ensured
that voucher samples of the commercially farmed research material were
preserved. In addition, we collected samples of this and related species
from throughout the Cape floristic region for chemical study. The rationale
for doing this was that many traditional medicines are locally made, not
from the expensive cultivar but from wild populations, which may vary
in chemical content due to either genetic or environmental reasons. For
medical scientists to know how broadly their research results apply to
other products that may be used, they will need to know where their product
fits into the range of variation found in those products.