Testing Herbs Against Cancer
Preliminary results from a study of ancient Chinese herbs by University of California, San Francisco researchers indicate that a surprising number of them may have anti-cancer benefits-at least in the laboratory.
Led by Dr. Michael Campbell, the researchers have so far looked at more than 70 traditional Chinese and Tibetan herbs and preparations, and found that almost a third may have at least some ability to inhibit cancer cells grown in test tubes.
"We're testing agents that have been used for hundreds of years," said Campbell in an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle.
More than 120 herbs and traditional medicines will eventually be evaluated by Campbell's team and others at UCSF. Sixteen of the herbs tested so far have been deemed "highly active" against breast cancer cell growth. Among these, rz rhei, a Chinese Rhubarb root, was especially promising in laboratory tests.
Other herbs that showed significant anti-cancer activity in laboratory tests included ban zhi lian, zhi mu, and wang bu liu xing. These may be the focus of future clinical trials in human breast cancer and other patients.
Another dozen herbs have been found to be "moderately active," according to Campbell, with the balance having no discernible impact on the cancer cell cultures.
In contrast, some early results have been disappointing. For example, a small trial evaluating a Tibetan herb preparation created by the personal physician of the Dalai Lama slowed tumor progression in only one of nine women with metastatic breast cancer who took the preparation over the course of a year.
In addition to testing Chinese and Tibetan herbs for anti-cancer properties, other UCSF researchers are evaluating a 21-herb formulation to see if it alleviates some of the side effects of chemotherapy. A third trial is studying the use of Chinese herbs to treat menopausal symptoms in breast cancer patients.
"We are focusing on areas unmet by industry," said another UCSF researcher, Isaac Cohen, in the Chronicle story. However, he cautioned that their work should be kept in perspective. "We are targeting symptoms. We don't have a cure."
SOURCE:
The San Francisco Chronicle, July 16, 2001