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A zine about medicines and where they come from
THIS IS PACLITAXEL Paclitaxel (also called Taxol) is a chemotherapy medication used to treat several types of cancer, including ovarian cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, Kaposi sarcoma, cervical cancer, and pancreatic cancer. It is administered via injection. It interrupts cell division and interferes with the reproduction of cancer cells. It was first isolated in 1971. It was derived from the bark of a Pacific Yew, hence the name Taxol.
THIS IS TAXUS FLORIDANA
Commonly known as the Florida Yew, this tree grows in a specific area of northern Florida that spans less than 2500 acres. It is listed as critically endangered. According to the IUCN, the felling of forests and selective logging of this tree, alongside lack of regeneration, are the largest threats to this tree. Populations are falling. The bark contains paclitaxel, a chemical that is used to treat several forms of cancer, including ovarian, breast, lung, cervical, and pancreatic cancer. It, alongside other seven other species of Yew tree, will go extinct if nothing is done.
THIS IS VINBLASTINE
Vinblastine, also called Velban, is another chemotherapy drug. It is usually used in combination with other medications to treat multiple cancers. It can treat Hodgkin’s lymphoma, non-small cell lung cancer, bladder cancer, brain cancer, melanoma, and testicular cancer. It is administered via injections. It is on the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines. It effectively halts cancer cell division. It was first isolated in 1958, from the Madagascar Periwinkle.
THIS IS CATHARANTHUS ROSEUS
Also called the Madagascar Periwinkle. It is cultivated in subtropical and tropical areas of the world like Malaysia. It grows well in Western Australia, to the point of being considered a weed. Despite this, it is threatened outside the cultivated population by slash and burn agriculture. This, combined with the severe bushfires that started in June of 2019, have resulted in the population decreasing. It has been historically used by indigenous peoples to treat diseases like malaria. Vinblastine and vincristine are two drugs that were developed from this flower; they treat Leukemia and Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, along with other varieties of cancer. The population can increase with human assistance.
THIS IS VINCRISTINE Vincristine, sometimes called leurocristine or Oncovin, is yet another chemotherpy drug. It is used to treat acute lymphocytic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemua, Hodgkin’s disease, neuroblastoma, and small cell lung cancer. It is given through an IV. It also stops the cells from dividing, thus halting the production of cancer cells. It is also on the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines. It was isolated in 1961 from the Madagascar Periwinkle. Like most anti-cancer and anti-viral drugs, it was modeled from chemicals found in T. Crypta.
THIS IS TECTITETHYA CRYPTA
This unassuming, unattractive lump may not look very impressive. However, this demosponge, T. Crypta for short, is actually quite the showstopper. This Carribean Sponge contains spongothymidine and spongouridine, nucleosides that provided a base for most anti-cancer and anti-viral drugs. The Carribean seas are one of the most polluted by human products such as plastic, chemicals, and other waste. Several governments are taking action against this.
SOURCES National Cancer Institute American Cancer Society World Health Organization International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List Smithsonian Ocean United Nations Environment Programme
Number ––––– Edition of ––––– March 2020 –––––