*Inhibition of pancreatic cancer stem cells by Rauwolfia vomitoria extract

The poor treatment outcomes of pancreatic cancer are linked to an enrichment of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in these tumors, which are resistant to chemotherapy and promote metastasis and tumor recurrence. In these experiments, the pancreatic CSC population, identified using cell surface markers or a tumor spheroid formation assay, was significantly reduced by the Rauwolfia vomitoria extract. In vivo the Rauwolfia extract significantly reduced the tumorigenicity of pancreatic cancer cells. Taken together, these data showed that Rauwolfia preferentially inhibited pancreatic cancer stem cells.