Anti-cancer screening lab to be launched at UWI

KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Natural Products Institute will on Tuesday, April 29, launch its Anti-Cancer Screening Laboratory at the Biology Lecture Theatre at the University of the West Indies, Mona campus in Kingston.

An advisory from the Ministry of Health on Friday said it forms part of the institute’s mandate to “develop natural products that may have the capacity to fight against cancer”.

“The cell culture based newly refurbished laboratory will be screening local plants and microorganisms for compounds that may be used to develop drugs to fight breast, prostate and other cancers,” the advisory said. “It will also screen for their capacities to prevent cancer initiation.”

The advisory also said that the facility is the first “dedicated anti-cancer laboratory of its kind in the country”.