Scientists have found a berry that has rapid cancer-fighting properties and can only be found in pockets of Far North Queensland, on the blushwood tree.

The research was led by Dr. Glen Boyle, from the QIMR Berghofer medical research institute in Brisbane. The research has been going on for eight years.

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With their results, they had found a compound within the berry that can kill head and neck tumors, as well as melanomas.

An experimental drug called EBC-46 has been derived from the berry. So far it has been tested on 300 animals including cats, dogs, and horses. The results look promising.

Boyle said that of all the animals tested, there was a 75 percent success rate. In those cases, the tumor disappeared and never returned.

The berry works with the use of a compound within a seed. The compound itself is hard to purify, and scientists are dumbfounded as to why it is there in the first place.

This compound works by first targeting and killing the tumors directly. Then, it cuts off the blood supply and also activates the body's immune system to clean up whatever is left behind.

While there are no side effects, the main thing that baffled scientists was how fast it took effect. They report that within five minutes, the drug took effect, and the tumor disappeared within only days.

The research evidently has important implications for human patients who are struggling with cancer. Boyle and his team say that the tests indicate it could be useful for humans too.

However, he goes on by warning that the compound currently works only on tumors that can be directly accessed by injections. It was not effective against metastatic cancer.

Boyle suggests that, initially, this could be an additional treatment option, and not a replacement for chemotherapy or surgery.

TagsBerry, Cancer, blushwood tree, Far North Queensland, Dr. Glen Boyle, EBC-46