Flower Power: Corn lily compound stops cancer in mice

The corn lily appears harmless enough. But when a pregnant ewe eats this mountain flower, she gives birth to lambs with grotesque birth defects, such as a missing eye. In 1968, researchers identified the chemical responsible for this damage and named it cyclopamine–for the one-eyed giant of Greek lore.

In recent years, scientists have tested cyclopamine to see whether its assault on the fast-growing cells of embryos and fetuses might be turned against tumor cells, which also multiply rapidly.