Mumbai's TMC Ventures into Medicinal Plant Research for Cancer Care Breakthrough

Mumbai's Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) is breaking new ground in cancer treatment by establishing a farm and a 100-bed hospital-cum-research facility in Khopoli, near Mumbai. The facility, known as the Integrative Center for Treatment, Research, and Education in Cancer (ICTREC), with an estimated cost of Rs 300 crore, aims to grow medicinal plants, including turmeric, ashwagandha, and over 500 others, to test their efficacy in cancer treatment. TMC's move comes after successful experiments with ashwagandha, revealing potential mortality reduction by 50% among bone marrow transplant patients.

Dr Vikram Gota, the head of clinical pharmacology at TMC's Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research & Education in Cancer (ACTREC), initiated the research in February 2018. The experiments led to the establishment of ICTREC in Khopoli, which will be the first cancer hospital in India to cultivate and conserve medicinal plants for potential cancer care benefits. The facility, expected to be operational by 2026, will also provide standard cancer treatments such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

According to TOI reports, the Maharashtra government has allocated 20 acres of land in Khopoli for ICTREC, collaborating with various research institutes such as the Central Ayurvedic Clinical Research Institute for Cancer (CARIC), Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, and more. The facility will cultivate over 500 plant species, some requiring climate control, aiming to develop therapeutically effective drugs derived from medicinal plants after rigorous testing and trials. After five years of experiments and trials with ashwagandha, Dr Gota is gearing up for the second phase of trials to validate findings. After five years of experiments and trials with ashwagandha, Dr Gota is gearing up for the second phase of trials to validate findings. Dr Shripad Banavali, director of academics at TMC, emphasizes a gradual approach, stating that asserting the anti-cancer potential of medicinal plants will only happen based on trial outcomes.

Dr Cyric Abby Philips, senior consultant, clinical and translational hepatology, and famous for busting traditional medicine myths on his X (Twitter) account, has his reservations. "There are numerous low-quality, basic, preclinical studies in cells, tissues and small animals showing various potential activities of withaferin-A, but none conclusively shows any benefits in GvHD (graft versus host disease) or other complications associated with cancer therapy," he said. "They're utilising traditional medicinal plants to address post-cancer treatment complications, and to strengthen patients' immunity affected by treatments like chemotherapy and radiation. This isn't justified with the level of evidence available in published medical literature," he added.