Taxol® Discovery Commemorated in Washington State
On Aug. 21, 2002, in the state of Washington, a historical marker was unveiled to commemorate the collection of the original sample of Pacific yew (Taxus brevifolia), which subsequently led to the discovery of the anti-cancer compound Taxol® at RTI by Mansukh C. Wani, Ph.D., and the late Monroe E. Wall, Ph.D.
The marker, consisting of a brass plaque affixed to a 2-ton stone, is located in La Wis Wis Campground in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest near Packwood, approximately 7 miles from the site where the first specimen was collected 40 years ago by a team of botanists led by Arthur Barclay of the U.S. Department of Agriculture
The marker is the result of efforts led by the Taxus Historical Marker Committee of the American Society of Pharmacognosy (ASP). John Beutler (chair), Nicholas Oberlies of RTI and other ASP members who all highly respect the work of Drs. Wall and Wani formed the ad hoc committee in July 2000. ASP funded the casting of the plaque.
"Wall and Wani's discovery of not one, but two natural product compounds that are now used to treat cancer is unprecedented. It is important for us to honor them for their accomplishments, as well as the other facets of research that, literally, helped turn a tree in the woods into one of the best recent advances in cancer treatment," explained Oberlies.
"The marker also honors a tree," said Beutler, "and not just a tree, but the idea that preserving biodiversity can have important practical results. The collection of yew bark was just the first step in a long process that had a major impact on cancer therapy."
At the annual ASP meeting held in Seattle in 2000, five members of the committee scouted out the original collection site. When they found what they believed to be it, they discovered it was not ideal for the marker. Oberlies explained, "It was on the side of Highway 52 that is closed in the winter due to snow cover and has few specimens of Pacific yew nearby. We wanted the marker to be close to a specimen." With the assistance of the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), the committee identified a suitable spot at the campground site, 20 feet away from a 200-year-old Pacific yew.
Present at the unveiling of the marker were Drs. Wani, Beutler, Oberlies and other members of the Taxus Committee, as well as members of the USFS who had helped collect and harvest specimens when the supply of Taxol was scarce. A portrait of Dr. Wall was displayed in his memory during the ceremony.
Drs.Wall and Wani reported the structure of Taxol in 1971. The unique mode of action for the compound was found to be the stabilization of microtubule assembly, which inhibits cell division. Today, Taxol is used for the treatment of refractory ovarian cancer, metastatic breast and lung cancers, and Kaposi's sarcoma.
RTI's Wall and Wani Fellowships
Also in honor of Drs. Wall and Wani, RTI has started a prestigious program of post-graduate fellowships in natural products research.
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The following is inscribed on the plaque: Discovery of Taxol Near this location on August 21, 1962, Arthur Barclay and a team of botanists from the U.S. Department of Agriculture collected bark of the Pacific Yew, Taxus brevifolia Nutt. Drs. Monroe Wall and Mansukh Wani, of the Research Triangle Institute, North Carolina, under contract to the U.S. National Cancer Institute, isolated Taxol from that sample. Since 1990 Taxol has been the drug of choice for treatment of ovarian cancer and is widely used in the treatment of breast cancer. Presented in 2002 by the USDA Forest Service, National Cancer Institute and the American Society of Pharmacognosy on the 40th anniversary of the collection. |
Taxol, a word coined by Monroe E. Wall of RTI, is a registered trademark of the Bristol-Myers Squibb Company.