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A member asked:
How can betulinic acid distinguish cancer cells from healthy cells?
A doctor has provided 1 answer
It doesn't: The idea is that the molecule from birch bark can be activated into a topoisomerase inhibitor that is somewhat more poisonous to cancer cells than healthy cells. Cancer cells tend to lose some of the machinery that maintains ordered growth & self-repair & this can be exploited by chemotherapy. A few papers on cell cultures in obscure journals is no reason to get excited about this "cancer cure.".
Answered 12/9/2013
5.1k views
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