Author Interviews, Cancer Research / 07.07.2025
Japanese Scientists Discover How Simple A Compound from Almonds and Apricots May Have Anticancer Effects
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
[caption id="attachment_69366" align="alignleft" width="240"] Dr. Hideyuki Saya, MD, PhD[/caption]
Hideyuki Saya, MD, PhD
Director, Oncology Innovation Center
Fujita Health University
Toyoake, Japan
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Benzaldehyde, a simple aromatic compound found in the natural aroma of almonds and apricots, has long been reported to have anticancer activity, with clinical trials even conducted in Japan in the 1980s. However, the molecular mechanism underlying its anticancer effect has remained unclear for decades.
Our study was initiated by Dr. Jun Saito, whose father was one of the original researchers studying benzaldehyde. Driven by a personal motivation to clarify the scientific basis of this compound’s effect, Dr. Saito spent over a decade in our lab to finally uncover its mechanism of action.
Dr. Hideyuki Saya, MD, PhD[/caption]
Hideyuki Saya, MD, PhD
Director, Oncology Innovation Center
Fujita Health University
Toyoake, Japan
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Benzaldehyde, a simple aromatic compound found in the natural aroma of almonds and apricots, has long been reported to have anticancer activity, with clinical trials even conducted in Japan in the 1980s. However, the molecular mechanism underlying its anticancer effect has remained unclear for decades.
Our study was initiated by Dr. Jun Saito, whose father was one of the original researchers studying benzaldehyde. Driven by a personal motivation to clarify the scientific basis of this compound’s effect, Dr. Saito spent over a decade in our lab to finally uncover its mechanism of action.