"Chinese Scientists' Breakthrough in Cancer Drug Biosynthesis"
Chinese scientists have decoded the biosynthetic pathway of the rare anticancer drug paclitaxel and successfully reproduced it in tobacco plants, offering a potential solution to the scarcity of the compound found in the Pacific yew tree. The research, published in Science, identified a new understanding of the synthesis pathway and introduced a method to artificially constitute the biosynthetic pathway for the key precursor of paclitaxel in tobacco. This breakthrough could pave the way for sustainable and alternative production methods, potentially leading to green and efficient manufacturing of paclitaxel in the future.