Guest guest Posted November 28, 2001 Report Share Posted November 28, 2001 http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_1678000/1678469.stm Wednesday, 28 November, 2001, 00:56 GMT Chinese remedy 'may fight cancer' Wormwood may provide a treatment for cancer An ancient Chinese folk remedy may hold the key to a non-toxic treatment for cancer. Researchers from the University of Washington have discovered breast cancer cells can be effectively targeted, using a chemical derived from the wormwood plant called artemisinin. The derivative killed virtually all the breast cancer cells exposed to it within 16 hours. It's highly toxic to the cancer cells, but has a marginal impact on normal breast cells. The US team hopes eventually the treatment will made available in pill form on an out-patient basis. Researcher Professor Henry Lai said: " Not only does it appear to be effective, but it's very selective. It's highly toxic to the cancer cells, but has a marginal impact on normal breast cells. " Artemisinin was extracted from wormwood thousands of years ago by the Chinese, who used it to combat malaria. The same compound is a treatment for malaria. However, the treatment was lost over time. Artemisinin was rediscovered during an archaeological dig in the 1970s that unearthed recipes for ancient medical remedies, and has become widely used in modern Asia and Africa to fight the mosquito-borne disease. The compound helps control malaria because it reacts with the high iron concentrations found in the malaria parasite. This reaction generates charged atoms called free radicals that kill the infected cells by ripping open their protective membranes. Professor Lai found that the same principle holds good for cancer cells which need a lot more iron than normal cells to help them divide rapidly. His team pumped up the cancer cells with maximum iron concentrations and then exposed them to artemisinin. After eight hours, just 25% of the cancer cells remained. By the time 16 hours had passed, nearly all the cells were dead. An earlier study involving leukaemia cells yielded even more impressive results - this could be because leukaemia cells have one of the highest iron concentrations among cancer cells. The researchers now plan to carry out tests on animals. Professor Lai said a drug treatment based on artemisinin would be very cheap. " With the millions of people who have already taken artemisinin for malaria, we have a track record showing that it's safe. The fascinating thing is that this was something the Chinese used thousands of years ago. We simply found a different application. " Dr Richard Sullivan, director of clinical trials for the Cancer Research Campaign, said the research was " very interesting " . When I hear about a Chinese herbal remedy I worry about it slightly, because often they are based on very little scientific evidence, but this has a strong underlying scientific and biological rational to it. We tend to concentrate on designer drugs, rather than looking at nature, but perhaps we should remember that nature has had millions of years to come up with solutions. " The research is published in the journal Life Sciences. ======================== Again here is more data which suggests that killing cancer cells is highly involved with have more free radicals in attack and less anti-oxidants in defence. I would suggest a healthy person would not be helped by taking this treatment. ======================== Good Health & Long Life, Greg Watson, gowatson USDA database (food breakdown) http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/ PubMed (research papers) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi DWIDP (nutrient analysis) http://www.walford.com/dwdemo/dw2b63demo.exe KIM (omega analysis) http://ods.od.nih.gov/eicosanoids/KIM_Install.exe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 29, 2001 Report Share Posted November 29, 2001 Dear Greg, Do you know anything else about this substance or it's Chinese name? I have a friend who is a professor of medicine in Bejing. I would like to write to her and ask her about this. thanks for any help, Frank Gettingwell, " Greg Watson " <gowatson@s...> wrote: > http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_1678000/1678469.stm > Wednesday, 28 November, 2001, 00:56 GMT > Chinese remedy 'may fight cancer' > Wormwood may provide a treatment for cancer > An ancient Chinese folk remedy may hold the key to a non-toxic treatment for cancer. > > Researchers from the University of Washington have discovered breast cancer cells can be effectively targeted, using a > chemical derived from the wormwood plant called artemisinin. The derivative killed virtually all the breast cancer > cells exposed to it within 16 hours. It's highly toxic to the cancer cells, but has a marginal impact on normal breast > cells. The US team hopes eventually the treatment will made available in pill form on an out-patient basis. > > Researcher Professor Henry Lai said: " Not only does it appear to be effective, but it's very selective. It's highly > toxic to the cancer cells, but has a marginal impact on normal breast cells. " > > Artemisinin was extracted from wormwood thousands of years ago by the Chinese, who used it to combat malaria. The same > compound is a treatment for malaria. However, the treatment was lost over time. Artemisinin was rediscovered during an > archaeological dig in the 1970s that unearthed recipes for ancient medical remedies, and has become widely used in > modern Asia and Africa to fight the mosquito-borne disease. > > The compound helps control malaria because it reacts with the high iron concentrations found in the malaria parasite. > This reaction generates charged atoms called free radicals that kill the infected cells by ripping open their protective > membranes. > > Professor Lai found that the same principle holds good for cancer cells which need a lot more iron than normal cells to > help them divide rapidly. His team pumped up the cancer cells with maximum iron concentrations and then exposed them to > artemisinin. After eight hours, just 25% of the cancer cells remained. By the time 16 hours had passed, nearly all the > cells were dead. > > An earlier study involving leukaemia cells yielded even more impressive results - this could be because leukaemia cells > have one of the highest iron concentrations among cancer cells. The researchers now plan to carry out tests on > animals. > > Professor Lai said a drug treatment based on artemisinin would be very cheap. " With the millions of people who have > already taken artemisinin for malaria, we have a track record showing that it's safe. The fascinating thing is that > this was something the Chinese used thousands of years ago. We simply found a different application. " > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 29, 2001 Report Share Posted November 29, 2001 Dear Greg, Srry, but I should have mentioned in my previous post, that I had followed the link but was unable to find this article in their journal. Frank Gettingwell, " Greg Watson " <gowatson@s...> wrote: > http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_1678000/1678469.stm > Wednesday, 28 November, 2001, 00:56 GMT > Chinese remedy 'may fight cancer' > Wormwood may provide a treatment for cancer > An ancient Chinese folk remedy may hold the key to a non-toxic treatment for cancer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 29, 2001 Report Share Posted November 29, 2001 - <califpacific Thursday, November 29, 2001 10:30 AM Re: Chinese remedy 'may fight cancer' > Dear Greg, > > Srry, but I should have mentioned in my previous post, that I had > followed the link but was unable to find this article in their > journal. > > Frank > > > http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_1678000/1678469.stm Hi Frank, Just tried the above link. Works fine. ======================== Good Health & Long Life, Greg Watson, gowatson USDA database (food breakdown) http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/ PubMed (research papers) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi DWIDP (nutrient analysis) http://www.walford.com/dwdemo/dw2b63demo.exe KIM (omega analysis) http://ods.od.nih.gov/eicosanoids/KIM_Install.exe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 29, 2001 Report Share Posted November 29, 2001 Dear Greg, I should have explained fully. I followed the link to the BBC and then tried the further links listed vaguely on that right of that page to Univ. of WAshington, Elsevier Life Sciences and the Breast Cancer Site. I did a word search on Elevier Life Science as that was the journal Quoted and got references to it's use a a malarial drug but not the one about cancer or any prior references to use China. Thanks anyway, Frank Gettingwell, " Greg Watson " <gowatson@s...> wrote: > - > <califpacific> > <Gettingwell> > Thursday, November 29, 2001 10:30 AM > Re: Chinese remedy 'may fight cancer' > > > > Dear Greg, > > > > Srry, but I should have mentioned in my previous post, that I had > > followed the link but was unable to find this article in their > > journal. > > > > Frank > > > > > http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_1678000/1678469.stm > > Hi Frank, > > Just tried the above link. Works fine. > ======================== > Good Health & Long Life, > Greg Watson, gowatson@s... > USDA database (food breakdown) http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/ > PubMed (research papers) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi > DWIDP (nutrient analysis) http://www.walford.com/dwdemo/dw2b63demo.exe > KIM (omega analysis) http://ods.od.nih.gov/eicosanoids/KIM_Install.exe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 29, 2001 Report Share Posted November 29, 2001 Dear Greg, I did a search (wasn't thinking earlier, thought maybe wouldnt be much on line) And found quite a bit. Here is a little ...the Chinese name and it comes in a tea if any are interested. Frank ..... Artemisinin was originally developed in 1972 in China (Chines Institute of material medicine) from the plant Artemisia annua L (sweet wormwood), a sesquiterpene lactone (emperical formula C15 H22 O5. Artemisinin is the active ingredient in qinghao, a Chinese herbal tea that have been used for 150 years to treat malaria and haemorrhoids. It grows in the wild in China and now has been found to grow in other parts of the world too, though the species may vary a bit. Locally, it is prepared as an infusion of the dried leaves. (Click here to see Sweetwormwood, the herbs) Derivatives of Artemisinin are; artemether, artesunate, arteether and artelinate. Artemisinin and these compounds are quickly converted to their active plasma metabolite, dihydroartemisinin, which is the chemical with the anti-malarial activity. Artemisinin, artemether and arteether are water insoluble, artesunate and artelinate are water-soluble (Click here to see chemical structures of Artemisinin and derivatives). > Gettingwell, " Greg Watson " <gowatson@s...> wrote: > > http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_1678000/1678469.stm > > Wednesday, 28 November, 2001, 00:56 GMT > > Chinese remedy 'may fight cancer' > > Wormwood may provide a treatment for cancer > > An ancient Chinese folk remedy may hold the key to a non-toxic > treatment for cancer. > > > > Researchers from the University of Washington have discovered breast > cancer cells can be effectively targeted, using a > > chemical derived from the wormwood plant called artemisinin. The > derivative killed virtually all the breast cancer > > cells exposed to it within 16 hours. It's highly toxic to the > cancer cells, but has a marginal impact on normal breast > > cells. The US team hopes eventually the treatment will made > available in pill form on an out-patient basis. > > > > Researcher Professor Henry Lai said: " Not only does it appear to be > effective, but it's very selective. It's highly > > toxic to the cancer cells, but has a marginal impact on normal > breast cells. " > > > > Artemisinin was extracted from wormwood thousands of years ago by > the Chinese, who used it to combat malaria. The same > > compound is a treatment for malaria. However, the treatment was > lost over time. Artemisinin was rediscovered during an > > archaeological dig in the 1970s that unearthed recipes for ancient > medical remedies, and has become widely used in > > modern Asia and Africa to fight the mosquito-borne disease. > > > > The compound helps control malaria because it reacts with the high > iron concentrations found in the malaria parasite. > > This reaction generates charged atoms called free radicals that kill > the infected cells by ripping open their protective > > membranes. > > > > Professor Lai found that the same principle holds good for cancer > cells which need a lot more iron than normal cells to > > help them divide rapidly. His team pumped up the cancer cells with > maximum iron concentrations and then exposed them to > > artemisinin. After eight hours, just 25% of the cancer cells > remained. By the time 16 hours had passed, nearly all the > > cells were dead. > > > > An earlier study involving leukaemia cells yielded even more > impressive results - this could be because leukaemia cells > > have one of the highest iron concentrations among cancer cells. > The researchers now plan to carry out tests on > > animals. > > > > Professor Lai said a drug treatment based on artemisinin would be > very cheap. " With the millions of people who have > > already taken artemisinin for malaria, we have a track record > showing that it's safe. The fascinating thing is that > > this was something the Chinese used thousands of years ago. We > simply found a different application. " > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 29, 2001 Report Share Posted November 29, 2001 - <califpacific Thursday, November 29, 2001 11:26 AM Re: Chinese remedy 'may fight cancer' > Dear Greg, > I did a search (wasn't thinking earlier, thought maybe wouldn't be much > on line) > And found quite a bit. Here is a little ...the Chinese name and it > comes in a tea if any are interested. > Frank > .... > Artemisinin was originally developed in 1972 in China (Chines > Institute of material medicine) from the plant Artemisia annual L > (sweet wormwood), a sesquiterpene lactone (empirical formula C15 H22 > O5. Artemisinin is the active ingredient in qinghao, a > Chinese herbal tea that have been used for 150 years to treat malaria > and haemorrhoids. It grows in the wild in China and now > has been found to grow in other parts of the world too, though the > species may vary a bit. Locally, it is prepared as an infusion > of the dried leaves. (Click here to see Sweetwormwood, the herbs) > > Derivatives of Artemisinin are; artemether, artesunate, arteether and > artelinate. Artemisinin and these compounds are quickly > converted to their active plasma metabolite, dihydroartemisinin, which > is the chemical with the anti-malarial activity. > > Artemisinin, artemether and arteether are water insoluble, artesunate > and artelinate are water-soluble Hi Frank, Due to it's apparent ability to increase free radical production, this is not something to use unless you are fighting cancer. So be careful............. ======================== Good Health & Long Life, Greg Watson, gowatson USDA database (food breakdown) http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/ PubMed (research papers) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi DWIDP (nutrient analysis) http://www.walford.com/dwdemo/dw2b63demo.exe KIM (omega analysis) http://ods.od.nih.gov/eicosanoids/KIM_Install.exe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 29, 2001 Report Share Posted November 29, 2001 - <califpacific Thursday, November 29, 2001 11:26 AM Re: Chinese remedy 'may fight cancer' > Dear Greg, > I did a search (wasn't thinking earlier, thought maybe wouldnt be much > on line) > And found quite a bit. Here is a little ...the Chinese name and it > comes in a tea if any are interested. Hi Frank, Checkout: The anti-malarial artesunate is also active against cancer http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=PubMed & list_uids=1\ 1251172 & dopt=Abstract or do a PubMed (link below) search on (wormwood OR artemisinin) AND cancer Plenty to read. ======================== Good Health & Long Life, Greg Watson, gowatson USDA database (food breakdown) http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/ PubMed (research papers) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi DWIDP (nutrient analysis) http://www.walford.com/dwdemo/dw2b63demo.exe KIM (omega analysis) http://ods.od.nih.gov/eicosanoids/KIM_Install.exe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 29, 2001 Report Share Posted November 29, 2001 Gettingwell, " Greg Watson " <gowatson@s...> wrote: > Hi Frank, > > Due to it's apparent ability to increase free radical production, this is not something to use unless you are fighting > cancer. So be careful............. Dear Greg, I agree it should not be used unless you are fighting cancer or malaria. To me it looks pretty tame when it is compared to the average chemotherapy drug made by the big pharma guys. And since it isnt feesable to produce synthetically at this point, is non patentable, and presents a low profit margin, it will get bad publicity and almost an impossible road to ever being available here in the USA. Here is the full publicity release. kind regards, Frank Public release date: 26-Nov-2001 [ Print This Article | Close This Window ] Contact: Rob Harrill rharrill 206-543-2580 University of Washington Ancient Chinese folk remedy may hold key to non-toxic cancer treatment Two bioengineering researchers at the University of Washington have discovered a promising potential treatment for cancer among the ancient arts of Chinese folk medicine. Research Professor Henry Lai and assistant research Professor Narendra Singh have exploited the chemical properties of a wormwood derivative to target breast cancer cells, with surprisingly effective results. A study in the latest issue of the journal Life Sciences describes how the derivative killed virtually all human breast cancer cells exposed to it within 16 hours. " Not only does it appear to be effective, but it's very selective, " Lai said. " It's highly toxic to the cancer cells, but has a marginal impact on normal breast cells. " The compound, artemisinin, isn't new. It apparently was extracted from the plant Artemesia annua L., commonly known as wormwood, thousands of years ago by the Chinese, who used it to combat malaria. However, the treatment was lost over time. Artemisinin was rediscovered during an archaeological dig in the 1970s that unearthed recipes for ancient medical remedies, and has become widely used in modern Asia and Africa to fight the mosquito-borne disease. The compound helps control malaria because it reacts with the high iron concentrations found in the malaria parasite. When artemisinin comes into contact with iron, a chemical reaction ensues, spawning charged atoms that chemists call " free radicals. " The free radicals attack cell membranes, breaking them apart and killing the single-cell parasite. About seven years ago, Lai began to hypothesize that the process might work with cancer, too. " Cancer cells need a lot of iron to replicate DNA when they divide, " Lai explained. " As a result, cancer cells have much higher iron concentrations than normal cells. When we began to understand how artemisinin worked, I started wondering if we could use that knowledge to target cancer cells. " Lai devised a potential method and began to look for funding, obtaining a grant from the Breast Cancer Fund in San Francisco. Meanwhile, the UW patented his idea. The thrust of the idea, according to Lai and Singh, was to pump up the cancer cells with maximum iron concentrations, then introduce artemisinin to selectively kill the cancer. To accommodate a rate of iron intake greater than normal cells, cancer cell surfaces feature greater concentrations of transferrin receptors – cellular pathways that allow iron into a cell. Breast cancer cells are no exception. They have five to 15 times more transferrin receptors on their surface than normal breast cells. In the current study, the researchers subjected sets of breast cancer cells and normal breast cells to doses of holotransferrin (which binds with transferrin receptors to transport iron into cells), dihydroartemisinin (a more water-soluble form of artemisinin) and a combination of both compounds. Cells exposed to just one of the compounds showed no appreciable effect. Normal breast cells, exposed to both compounds, exhibited a minimal effect. But the response by cancer cells when hit with first holotransferrin, then dihydroartemisinin, was dramatic. After eight hours, just 25 percent of the cancer cells remained. By the time 16 hours had passed, nearly all the cells were dead. An earlier study involving leukemia cells yielded even more impressive results. Those cells were eliminated within eight hours. A possible explanation might be the level of iron in the leukemia cells. " They have one of the highest iron concentrations among cancer cells, " Lai explained. " Leukemia cells can have more than 1,000 times the concentration of iron that normal cells have. " The next step, according to Lai, is animal testing. Limited tests have been done in that area. In an earlier study, a dog with bone cancer so severe it couldn't walk made a complete recovery in five days after receiving the treatment. But more rigorous testing is needed. If the process lives up to its early promise, it could revolutionize the way some cancers are approached, Lai said. The goal would be a treatment that could be taken orally, on an outpatient basis. " That would be very easy, and this could make that possible, " Lai said. " The cost is another plus – at $2 a dose, it's very cheap. And, with the millions of people who have already taken artemisinin for malaria, we have a track record showing that it's safe. " Whatever happens, Lai said, a portion of the credit will have to go to unknown medical practitioners, long gone now. " The fascinating thing is that this was something the Chinese used thousands of years ago, " he said. " We simply found a different application. " ### Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 29, 2001 Report Share Posted November 29, 2001 - <califpacific Thursday, November 29, 2001 3:44 PM Re: Chinese remedy 'may fight cancer' Gettingwell, " Greg Watson " <gowatson@s...> wrote: > Hi Frank, > > Due to it's apparent ability to increase free radical production, this is not something to use unless you are fighting > cancer. So be careful............. Dear Greg, I agree it should not be used unless you are fighting cancer or malaria. To me it looks pretty tame when it is compared to the average chemotherapy drug made by the big pharma guys. Hi Frank, But combine it with garlic to depress the glutathione reduction system, iron & wormwood to boost free radical production, EPA to drop TNF and other AA derivatives cancer cells love, long chain fatty acids to get into the cancer cell's membranes and then to get hit with the radicals and compromise the membranes integrity and you just might get interesting results. ======================== Good Health & Long Life, Greg Watson, gowatson USDA database (food breakdown) http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/ PubMed (research papers) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi DWIDP (nutrient analysis) http://www.walford.com/dwdemo/dw2b63demo.exe KIM (omega analysis) http://ods.od.nih.gov/eicosanoids/KIM_Install.exe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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