The Better India · 21 hours ago

Could a Tribal Forest Remedy From Nagaland Help Fight Cancer?

Two healers in remote Nagaland, aged 85 and 78, have been treating illness with forest plants for over forty years - and now scientists are discovering that their five-plant formulation shows measurable activity against colon cancer cells in laboratory tests. The research team didn't begin with microscopes but with listening, traveling across the region to document knowledge from more than 50 traditional healers, cross-referencing their accounts until one remedy surfaced again and again. "Once the active property is lost, the cancer cell will die," explains Dr. Bupesh of Nagaland University, describing how compounds in the plants appear to block proteins that fuel tumor growth. What makes this work remarkable is not just the science but the ethic behind it: researchers are developing propagation methods to protect rare endemic species rather than extracting them, honoring a living tradition while exploring whether what has sustained one community might eventually reach others who need it most.