Rainforests, Pharmacy to the World

According to experts, the cure for AIDs and cancer will most likely be found in the rainforests. More than 25 percent of the active ingredients in today's cancer-fighting drugs come from organisms found only in the rainforest. The U.S. National Cancer Institute has identified more than 3,000 plants that are active against cancer cells, and 70 percent of these plants are found only in the rainforest. For example, two drugs obtained from a rainforest plant known as the Madagascar periwinkle have increased the chances of survival for children with leukemia from 20 percent to 80 percent. Ultimately, this means that eight out of ten children are being saved rather than eight out of ten children are dying from leukemia. It's a good thing this valuable plant was discovered before deforestation led to its extinction; think about all of the possible cures we have already lost. Also, along with the thousands of species of rainforest plants that have not been analyzed come many more thousands of unknown plant chemicals, many of which have evolved to protect the plants from diseases. These plant chemicals may well help in the ongoing struggle with pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi that are mutating against mainstream drugs and becoming resistant to them. These pathogens cause serious diseases, including hepatitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis, and HIV, all of which are becoming more difficult to treat.
Besides the possibilities of cures for big diseases such as cancer and AIDs, we still rely on rainforest plants for curing our ailments. Almost 90 percent of people in developing countries still depend upon traditional medicine, based on different species of plants and animals, for their primary health care. In the United States, about 25 percent of prescriptions are filled with drugs whose active ingredients are extracted or derived from plants, and currently 121 prescription drugs sold worldwide come from plants. So what's more important to you- nice upholstery made out of teak and mahogany, or finding cures for terminal diseases?