Scientists in Nanyang Technological University (NTU Singapore) led by Professor James P Tam, have discovered a first-in-class, plant-derived epidermal growth factor (EGF) and an ultrastable analog for healing of chronic wounds, an unmet problem in treatment of diabetic wounds. This is the first EGF receptor agonist that is structurally different from all previous EGFs and first such growth factor found in plants – the rose cactus, used widely in Southeast Asia. Since aberrant regulation of EGF or its receptor is associated with certain type of cancers, their findings also open new avenues to develop targeted therapies for cancer.