Dr. Henry Lowe, Dr. L. Bryant and the Ball Moss Plant Patent – How to synthesize Dicinnamoyl-Glycerol Esters that has anti-HIV and Cancer Properties

“This is particularly burdensome for scientists in developing countries like Jamaica, where resources are limited and the filing and maintenance of patents are very expensive”

Dr. Henry Lowe commenting on his being granted a patent for a unique synthesis method for called Dicinnamoyl-Glycerol Esters

Dr. Henry Lowe's BTRDI (Bio-Tech R&D Institute) in collaboration with Dr. L. Bryant of the University of Maryland Institute of Human Virology (IHV) has made yet another breakthrough for which they've been awarded a patent.

They've been granted a patent for a novel synthesis method for making a new group of chemical compounds called Dicinnamoyl-Glycerol Esters extracted from the Ball Moss Plant (Tillandsia recurvata) as reported in the article “US Grants Likely Cancer Cure Patent To Jamaican Scientist”, published Monday March 23, 2015 by Gary Spaulding, The Jamaica Gleaner.

Dr. Henry Lowe of BTRDI and Dr Joseph Bryant at the University of Maryland Institute of Human Virology (IHV)  who were formally granted the patent by the US Patent Office, numbered US8907117, also published as US20130210913 A1 on Tuesday December 9, 2014, only made this achievement known in March 2015.  

What makes this latest discovery, for which they'd been awarded a patent after four (4) patent years of waiting, is that these Dicinnamoyl-Glycerol Esters and their mirror isomers, be they cis or trans-isomers have activity against various cancers.

Not only that, but these Dicinnamoyl-Glycerol Esters extracted from the Ball Moss Plant (Tillandsia recurvata) also had shown activity against HIV-AIDS (Human Immuno Deficiency Virus Acquired Immuno-Deficiency Disease).

Dr. Henry Lowe and the Ball Moss Plant – Patent US8907117 for HIV and Cancer Cure

Ball Moss Plant (Tillandsia recurvata) commonly known as Ball Moss is actually a flowering plant. It not a member of the Moss family, which is really a parasitic plant like the Mistletoe, but actually grows in symbiosis on a host plant or even on JPS Co Wires, basically making it an epiphyte.

It needs little light and airflow but uses the high humidity to extract water. Unlike the Lignum Vitae, it's not endemic to Jamaica but is peculiar to this region, found mostly in the Southern part of North America, Central America and the Caribbean and part of South America

This activity against Cancer and HIV/AIDS was demonstrated via “in-vitro” Lab Rat assays as far back as 2008 as reported in the article “Cancer, HIV cure nearer”, published Monday, July 07, 2008 BY Ross Sheil Observer Online co-ordinator, The Jamaica Observer.

The Patent granted by the US Patent Office, numbered US8907117, also published as US20130210913 A1, is registered to Dr. Henry Lowe and Dr. Joseph L. Bryant. On examining the Patents, it clearly lays out the synthesis steps in a series of four images, reproduced here, which should be of interest to Organic Chemistry students such as myself.

Dr. Henry Lowe had already discovered anti-HIV properties in the Lignum Vitae flower, the National Flower of Jamaica back in August 2014 as noted in my blog article entitled “How Dr. Lowe Lignum Vitae Extract is the Equivalent of Melittin in Bee Venom for AIDS Treatment”.

More recently, he discovered similar anti-HIV activity in the Guinea Hen Weed (Petiveria Alliacea) extract, Dibenzyl Trisulphide (C₁₄H₁₄S₃), which was announced in early January 2015 as reported in my blog article entitled “Dr. Henry Lowe and BTRDI Team discover Guinea Hen Weed active against HIV - Chikungunya Virus Treatment potential as Dr Lawrence Williams Cancer Cure also kills HIV”.

So how did a Dr. Henry Lowe and his BTRDI, the parent company of Medicanja, his medical Marijuana company and new applicant for an IPO (Initial Public Offering) as noted in my blog article entitled “Dr. Henry Lowe Medicanja's parent BTRDI launching IPO in 2015 - Why P.J. Patterson “fly the gate” for Hemp and Marijuana products to cure 84 ailments”, achieve this amazing feat?

Dr. Henry Lowe and the Ball Moss Plant Patent – From Publication to Patent Filing

Dr. Henry Lowe began his research into the synthesis of Dicinnamoyl-Glycerol Esters after discovering along with partner Dr Joseph Bryant at the University of Maryland Institute of Human Virology (IHV) back in 2008 that the active ingredients in the Ball Moss Plant (Tillandsia recurvata) had activity against Cancers and HIV/AIDS as noted in the article “Cancer, HIV cure nearer”, published Monday, July 07, 2008 BY Ross Sheil Observer Online co-ordinator, The Jamaica Observer.

Still, many Jamaicans, including the Jamaica Urological Society in December 2010, were cautious in their optimism about the effectiveness of these newly discovered group of active compounds in the Ball Moss Plant (Tillandsia recurvata) as stated in the article “'Cancer drug from Jamaican plant overhyped' – urologists”, published Wednesday, December 08, 2010, The Jamaica Observer.

Their optimism was most likely because of their doubts as to how effective these new compounds were. This especially as Dr. Lowe and Dr. Bryant had declared them to be more potent and with less side-effect than Taxol, then the leading anti-cancer drug on the market and only after having tested them on lab rats and having undergone no clinical trials on humans.

Still undeterred, he published his work in 2012 in a series of scientific journals a reported in the article “Henry Lowe makes another step forward in cancer research”, published Sunday, September 30, 2012 BY VERNON DAVIDSON Executive editor — publications, The Jamaica Observer and then filed a patent application for his synthesis method of Dicinnamoyl-Glycerol Esters and their isomers from the Ball Moss Plant (Tillandsia recurvata).

For those into reading scientific journals, his published work on the isolation of Dicinnamoyl-Glycerol Esters from the Ball Moss Plant (Tillandsia recurvata) can be found in the following journals:

1.      International Research Journal of Biological Sciences

2.      Analytical Chemistry : An Indian Journal

3.      NCBI

4.      Scientific Researcher

More specifically, his works are entitled as thus on these journals:

1.      Isolation, purification and partial characterisation of a glycoside from the Jamaican Ball Moss

2.      Anti-angiogenic properties of the Jamaican Ball Moss

3.      Cycloartanes from the Jamaican Ball Moss

4.      Kinase inhibition by the Jamaican Ball Moss

Still, Dr. Lowe and company pressed on, not only with research into the Ball Moss Plant (Tillandsia recurvata)  but also the develope of Marijuana (Cannabis Sativa) and the extraction of its active drugs THC (Tetra Hydro Cannabinol) and other bioactive ingredients that could be used to treat a variety of ailments.

By December 2013, Dr. Heny Lowe had launched his Medical Marijuana company, Medicanja as reported in my blog article entitled “Dr.Henry Lowe launches Medicanja and jump-starts Pharmaceutical Industry in our Back yard – Pharmaceutical Research Renaissance in Jamaica” as he awaited the granting of the patent for his synthesis method of Dicinnamoyl-Glycerol Esters and their isomers from the Ball Moss Plant (Tillandsia recurvata).

Now in March 2015, some four (4) years later, Dr. Henry Lowe of BTRDI and Dr Joseph Bryant at the University of Maryland Institute of Human Virology (IHV) have finally beign rewarded for their patient long and exhaustive work in the developement of this extraction method for these unique Dicinnamoyl-Glycerol Esters from the Ball Moss Plant (Tillandsia recurvata).

To quote Dr. Henry Lowe upon announcing the news of the granting of this long sought patent: “We are pleased to know that it has finally been granted”.

Extraction process for Dicinnamoyl-Glycerol Esters no secret - Unique patent as Dr. Lowe and Dr. Bryant recognized anti-HIV and anti-Cancer properties 

I suspect the extraction method is really just the use of ethanol and other reagents, followed by filtration and then finally centrifugation to separate the lighter long chain Esters from the heavier organic fractions in Ball Moss Plant (Tillandsia recurvata).

Simple as that!

What may be unknown are exact concentration of the reagents used and for how long he had to do the various processes of filtration to achieve a high yield in comparison to the original weight of the Ball Moss Plant (Tillandsia recurvata).

So it may have been this ease of extraction that mush have weighed on the minds of the US Patent Office, as this method probably used standard extraction methods as well as standard reagents available in any laboratory.

What mush have swayed their decision was the fact that Dr. Henry Lowe of BTRDI and Dr Joseph Bryant were the first to recognize the anti-Cancer and anti-HIV properties of the Dicinnamoyl-Glycerol Esters extracted from the Ball Moss Plant (Tillandsia recurvata).

Not only that, they were the first to have attempted to extract them for this purpose and demonstrated via a Lab rat in-vitro assay that it had activity against cancer cells and  the HIV virus. The US Patent Office must have done an exhaustive search through its database to determine if this was really the first instance of an extraction of Dicinnamoyl-Glycerol Esters from the Ball Moss Plant (Tillandsia recurvata).

Combined, all these unique factors made the discovery not only unique but the exact process and reagents involved patentable.

The Dicinnamoyl-Glycerol Esters extracted from the Ball Moss Plant (Tillandsia recurvata) are currently in the final stages of preclinical studies. When that is done, they'll undergo clinical trials and drug development in a long and expensive process that can cost approximately US$1 to US$1.5 billion and last as long as 10 to 15 years!

More on the development of these anti-Cancer and anti-HIV from the Dicinnamoyl-Glycerol Esters extracted from the Ball Moss Plant (Tillandsia recurvata) as BTRDI make the information available

Here's the link:

Isolation, purification and partial characterisation of a glycoside from the Jamaican Ball Moss

Anti-angiogenic properties of the Jamaican Ball Moss

Cycloartanes from the Jamaican Ball Moss

Kinase inhibition by the Jamaican Ball Moss

US Patent Office US8907117 or US20130210913 A1 for Dicinnamoyl-Glycerol Esters extraction from Ball Moss Plant (Tillandsia recurvata)