Skip to main content

Part of The University of Texas System

UT Health San AntonioUT Health San Antonio

Part of the University of Texas System

A mouthwash to treat oral cancer?

Time & Date

Wednesday, September 12, 2018

A mouthwash to treat oral cancer?


SAN ANTONIO (Sept. 12, 2018) ― Mother Nature has a way of hiding cures for diseases in plants and minerals, awaiting human discovery. This may be the case with thymol, a compound found in several plants, including thyme, oregano, rosemary and bay leaves.

“Thymol is already known to have anti-microbial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties,” said Cara Gonzales, D.D.S., Ph.D., associate professor in the School of Dentistry at UT Health San Antonio. Due to its medicinal properties, thymol is already an ingredient in a leading mouthwash, cosmetics and other products.

Dr. Gonzales and her team recently conducted laboratory and animal research that showed thymol may have merit as a preventive agent and treatment for oral cancer.

In the lab, Dr. Gonzales’s team found that thymol was effective in preventing the proliferation of oral cancer cells. In animal models of human oral cancer, they showed thymol to be effective as an anti-tumor agent. “Our findings provide the first evidence of thymol’s novel anti-tumor effects against oral cancer in animals,” she said.

The team further discovered thymol selectively kills cancer cells by acting on their highly active mitochondria, which produce energy to allow cancer cells to grow. “We show that thymol induces mitochondrial dysfunction and cell death, and it may be effective against several types of cancer,” she said.

Dr. Gonzales’ research was published online May 19 in the Journal of Oral Pathology & Medicine. UT Health San Antonio has a patent on a thymol mouth rinse to prevent oral cancer and on its mechanism of action to use as a treatment for oral cancer. Dr. Gonzales hopes to conduct human clinical trials in the future.

# # #

For current news from the UT Health Science Center San Antonio, now called UT Health San Antonio™, please visit our online newsroom, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

# # #

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, now called UT Health San Antonio®, is one of the country’s leading health sciences universities. With missions of teaching, research, healing and community engagement, its schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, health professions and graduate biomedical sciences have produced 35,850 alumni who are leading change, advancing their fields and renewing hope for patients and their families throughout South Texas and the world. To learn about the many ways “We make lives better®,” visit www.uthscsa.edu.

 

 

 

 

 

The post A mouthwash to treat oral cancer? appeared first on UT Health San Antonio.


Share this news item
Map image of UT Health San Antonio location

UT Health San Antonio

7703 Floyd Curl Drive
San Antonio, TX 78229

210-567-7000

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linked In
  • Instagram
  • Contact us
  • Maps & directions
  • Job openings

We make lives better ®

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, also called UT Health San Antonio, is a leading academic health center with a mission to make lives better through excellence in advanced academics, life-saving research and comprehensive clinical care including health, dental and cancer services.

Web Privacy | Links from websites affiliated with UT Health's website (uthscsa.edu) to other websites do not constitute or imply university endorsement of those sites, their content, or products and services associated with those sites. The content on this website is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Health information on this site is not meant to be used to diagnose or treat conditions. Consult a health care provider if you are in need of treatment.