Avocados may help treat leukemia

Scientists at the University of Waterloo (Canada) discovered that avocados can help defeat deadly leukemia.

Avocados contain compounds that can help fight leukemia - Photo: Shutterstock

Professor Paul Spagnuolo of the University of Waterloo discovered that a lipid in avocados could help fight acute myeloid leukemia (AML) by targeting the root of the disease, the leukemia stem cells.

During the research, experts prepared a drug from a compound found in avocados called avocatin B that can attack acute myeloid leukemia at its root.

After several experiments, the research team found that avocatin B targets AML stem cells without harming healthy cells.

AML is a form of acute leukemia that is proven to be fatal within 5 years in 90% of people over 65 years of age.

There are very few drugs available to patients in the world that directly target leukemia stem cells, according to ANI news agency. The research was published in the journal Cancer Research./.

According to VOV