Using this tiny part from an olive could help with cancer treatment, HonorHealth study suggests

A new study from the HonorHealth Research Institute in Scottsdale found that olives might be helpful in delivering drugs to patients with cancer.

Vesicles, a small sac formed by a membrane and filled with liquid, can be created in a laboratory to carry drugs to cells in the body. They are also found in humans and in plants.

HonorHealth’s study found that vesicles derived from olives could be the basis of a new drug delivery system that’s less toxic and better targeted to a patient’s disease.

Frederic Zenhausern is a senior investigator at the research institute. He said the new treatment uses waste from agricultural olive processing.

“And they are extremely stable under different conditions,” Zenhausern said. “For example — we can almost store them in your fridge or even at room temperature for months and they are still stable.”

He said that differs from certain vaccines that have to be stored at freezing temperatures. He added that the findings could lead to more effective use of anti-cancer drugs, gene editing or the creation of modern RNA-based therapeutics.

“Together, these findings suggested that (olive‐derived nanovesicles) represent a promising candidate as drug nanocarriers for various (drug delivery system) clinical applications, as demonstrated by their biocompatibility, high resistance to stress, good stability in harsh environments, and improvement of anticancer drug efficacy,” the study concluded.”