THE MOSS REPORTS Newsletter (08/15/04)

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> 15 Aug 2004 15:46:45 -0000

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> THE MOSS REPORTS Newsletter (08/15/04)

>

>

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> Ralph W. Moss, Ph.D. Weekly CancerDecisions.com

> Newsletter #145 08/15/04

>

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>

> THE MOSS REPORTS

>

>

> " Nature never ceases to amaze me, " says Professor

> Alan McGown, one of the scientists whose work is

> featured in this week's newsletter.

>

> It is enormously refreshing to see that scientists

> such as Professor McGown are increasingly turning

> their attention to the natural world in search of

> better tools for use in the treatment of cancer.

> It seems fair to hope that after three decades of

> the war on cancer, a war that has so far proved to

> be seriously misguided, a new approach is finally

> gaining momentum.

>

> For the past thirty years I have been studying the

> world of cancer therapeutics and writing about the

> best treatment choices that conventional and

> alternative medicine have to offer. The fruits of

> this work are embodied in The Moss Reports, a

> comprehensive series of reports on the treatment

> options for more than 200 different cancer

> diagnoses.

>

> If you or someone you love has received a diagnosis

> of cancer, a Moss Report can provide you with the

> key to understanding the best that conventional and

> alternative medicine have to offer. You can order a

> Moss Report on your specific cancer type by calling

> Diane at 1-800-980-1234 (814-238-3367 from outside

> the US), or by visiting our website:

> http://www.cancerdecisions.com

>

> We look forward to helping you.

>

>

>

> MINT-LIKE PLANT STARVES CANCER CELLS

>

>

> Mint! If it weren't so flavorful it would be among

> the most pernicious of weeds in the garden.

> Innocently put a few shoots of mint in your herb

> garden and the next thing you know it's popping up

> all over. These are friends who stay for dinner—once

> introduced, they will be with you for a long, long

> time.

>

> Luckily, mints have medicinal uses that more than

> make up for their invasive habits. Peppermint and

> spearmint are among the world's most popular

> flavors. The choice of mint as a flavoring for

> after-dinner chocolate is a testament to the herb's

> universally known ability to quiet dyspepsia and

> heartburn.

>

> But recently a Chinese herb in the mint family,

> Laminaceae, was found have unusual qualities that

> may make it a useful ally in the fight against

> cancer.

>

> The mint-like herb in question is Scutellaria,

> popularly known as ‘skullcap'. This peculiar and

> rather ominous-sounding name derives from the

> unusual shape of the seed heads that plants of this

> genus develop after their flowers have finished

> blooming. The species used in the latest

> experiments is Scutellaria barbata, or the barbed

> skullcap. But the genus as a whole includes 10 or

> more common species, including the North American S.

> lateriflora as well as S. baicalensis (Baikal

> skullcap), which, as the name suggests, originated

> in the area around Lake Baikal in Siberia.

>

> For a picture of skullcap, click or go to:

> http://www.cancerdecisions.com/images/aascutl1.jpg

>

>

> Folk Usages

>

>

> Skullcap is well known in the various folk medicine

> traditions of the world. There are several ways that

> skullcap is traditionally prepared and used. For

> instance, Chinese healers generally make a

> preparation out of the roots of S. baicalensis.

> American herbalists (following Native American

> traditions) tend to use the aerial (or above ground)

> parts of 3 to 4 year old specimens of S.

> lateriflora, harvested in June. The herb has a

> bitter and slightly astringent taste. It smells a

> bit like grass or hay.

>

>

> Duke's Database

>

>

> Those wishing to understand the composition and

> traditional uses of medicinal herbs should

> definitely consult Dr James Duke's Phytochemical and

> Ethnobotanical Databases. Dr. Duke is the foremost

> expert on traditional remedies in the United States.

> When he was at the Department of Agriculture (USDA)

> he compiled these huge databases, which continue to

> be periodically updated with information from his

> voluminous files and extensive personal experience.

>

> To consult Dr. Duke's government database, click or

> go to:

> http://www.ars-grin.gov/duke/

>

> For Scutellaria Dr. Duke lists ten different species

> and their traditional uses. Most interesting is the

> fact that in different cultures around the globe the

> following three varieties have been used against

> cancer:

>

> --S. baicalensis has been used traditionally against

> cervical, glandular, lymphatic, nasal, pharyngeal,

> stomach and thyroid cancer.

>

> --S. barbata has been used against cancer in general

> and specifically against cervical, digestive,

> esophageal and stomach cancer.

>

> --S. lateriflora was reported by Jonathan L.

> Hartwell, PhD (1906-1991), of the National Cancer

> Institute (NCI), to have been used traditionally

> against cancer in general. (Dr. Hartwell was another

> great ethnobotanist: I dedicated my 1998 book, Herbs

> Against Cancer, to him and to James Duke.)

>

> Dr. Duke doesn't specify the active ingredients of

> S. barbata. In addition to those ingredients that

> are ubiquitous in plants in general, S. baicalensis

> contains 30 known biologically active compounds,

> including two uncommon compounds, baicalein and

> baicalin, in the roots. S. baicalensis has also

> been shown to have antibacterial and even antiviral

> properties (see references below).

>

> S. lateriflora contains fewer medically interesting

> compounds, such as the flavonoid scutellarin (also

> found in the common weed, plantain), as well as

> volatile oils and tannins. The plant also includes

> monoterpenes, chemically related to D-limonene and

> perillyl alcohol, which are being examined by the

> NCI for anticancer effects. One or more of these

> monoterpenes may be responsible for the

> characteristic sedative, anti-inflammatory and

> antioxidant effects reported for this compound. The

> herb was formerly widely used for hysteria, tension,

> epilepsy and other nervous disorders. Another name

> for S. lateriflora is " mad-dog skullcap, " indicating

> that it was once believed useful against rabies.

>

>

>

> PC SPES

>

>

> A few years ago Scutellaria baicalensis created a

> stir in cancer circles, because it was a major

> component in the now-notorious anti-prostate cancer

> formula, PC SPES. (This ostensibly Chinese herbal

> formula was later shown to be contaminated with

> standard pharmaceutical compounds, including

> diethylstilbestrol (DES) and the anticoagulant

> Warfarin, and was abruptly withdrawn from the

> market.)

>

>

> New Anticancer Drug

>

>

> More recently, a drug based on an extract of the

> leaves of S. barbata has been shown to work by

> inhibiting the formation of blood vessels supplying

> tumors. It is thus an anti-angiogenic, as opposed to

> a cytotoxic, agent. This finding provides a clue as

> to how herbal compounds might actually help fight

> cancer – a suggestion that in the past has attracted

> ridicule from many in the anti-alternative medicine

> establishment.

>

> Professor Alan McGown and colleagues at the

> University of Salford in Manchester, England, say

> they will test this herb-derived drug in cancer

> patients soon. (They have so far only tested it on

> human cancer cell lines in the laboratory.) It

> should have fewer side effects than conventional

> treatments, they say, since the latter attack

> healthy cells as well as cancerous cells.

>

> By attacking the tumor's blood supply Scutellaria

> may help to starve tumors to death by blocking their

> supply of oxygen and nutrients. A colleague of

> Professor McGown's, Dr. Sylvie Ducki, said: " If you

> target the vessels you are stopping the ‘food'

> getting to the tumor and the tumor from spreading. "

> She said the drug targets only tumor vessels; blood

> vessels supplying healthy tissues remain unaffected.

>

> " Conventional treatments usually target tumor cells

> but also the normal cells. This causes a lot of side

> effects. Ours is so selective for just tumor vessels

> it did not attack normal blood vessels. We think we

> would be able to avoid a lot of the nasty side

> effects that conventional treatments have, " she

> added.

>

>

> Patient Trials

>

>

> Professor McGown added: " Clearly we have much work

> to do before this treatment can be evaluated in

> patients. However, this area of research is very

> exciting. All cancers require a blood supply if they

> are to survive and grow. If we can target and

> destroy these blood vessels, then we will have a

> treatment that will be applicable to all forms of

> cancer both in children and adults. "

>

> " Nature never ceases to amaze me, " Dr. McGown added.

> " The drug works by destroying the blood vessels. It

> seems to target only cancer cells, because normal,

> healthy cells are not vulnerable. Cancer cells are

> weak and rely on oxygen and nutrients from the

> blood, which makes them susceptible to this drug.

>

> " Researchers have been looking for something like

> this for years and we think that our findings look

> very promising -- our research shows this should

> destroy all types of cancer " (Camber 2004).

>

> Dr Graham Cowling, from the Paterson Institute for

> Cancer Research in Manchester, agreed. He said:

> " This sounds very exciting. There are a number of

> drugs being developed which work on a similar

> mechanism but they are all slightly different.

>

> The modern approach is to combine drugs together to

> get even better effects. The more drugs we can get

> into clinical trials the better. We look forward to

> it progressing on through to the next stage. "

>

> A spokeswoman for the large British charity Cancer

> Research UK added: " Scutellaria barbata has long

> been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat

> several illnesses, including some cancers. So this

> finding is very interesting and the active

> ingredients of the plant should definitely be

> investigated further. "

>

> There is some confusion over exactly how this

> knowledge might be applied to today's patients. Dr.

> McGown is using the leaf of S. barbata as the source

> of his new medication. However, the type of

> Scutellaria most often found in North America is S.

> lateriflora. Extracts of S. baicalensis (Huang Qin)

> are also available on the Internet, presumably from

> China. How these various products relate to one

> another, and what constitutes a useful therapeutic

> dose, is difficult to say without proper chemical

> analysis and standardization.

>

> At the www.healthy.net website, herbalist David L.

> Hoffman recommends the following method of

> preparation: " Infusion: pour a cup of boiling water

> onto l-2 teaspoonfuls of the dried herb and leave to

> infuse for l0-l5 minutes. This should be drunk three

> times a day or when needed. Tincture: take 2-4

> millilters of the tincture three times a day. "

>

> If interested in pursuing this as a treatment the

> reader would be well advised to contact a qualified

> herbalist, naturopath, or other CAM-oriented

> practitioner. Many websites, such as healthy.net,

> offer search engines for such doctors and healers.

>

>

> Is Skullcap Toxic?

>

>

> Perhaps the inclusion of the word " skull " will

> frighten away some potential users. Is skullcap

> toxic? It isn't generally believed to be so. I

> decided to experience the effects of the herb

> first-hand as part of my research for this

> newsletter. After drinking a cup of tea made with

> two teaspoons of nearly-powdered Scutellaria (the

> label didn't say so, but I presume the product I had

> was S. lateriflora) I felt a certain queasiness. The

> feeling wore off after a few hours. If I were to

> take this herb regularly I would start with a small

> amount, perhaps one-half teaspoon to the cup, and

> then gradually increase it to two teaspoons, if it

> agreed with me.

>

> According to the authoritative PDR for Herbal

> Medicines: " No health hazards or side effects are

> known in conjunction with the proper administration

> of designated therapeutic dosages. "

>

> According to another source, " Swallowing skullcap at

> normal doses does not generally result in serious

> side effects. Injection of S. baicalensis extracts,

> however, can cause fever, muscle pain, and lowered

> leukocyte count. In several instances, people taking

> skullcap have experienced liver damage. The danger

> of liver toxicity should, however, discourage casual

> use of skullcap. " (www.herbs2000.com)

>

> This reputed damage to the liver probably does not

> come from skullcap per se, but from contamination

> with another similar-looking plant, germander. In

> fact, baicalin, from the root of Scutellaria

> baicalensis, has been found to guard against the

> known liver toxicity of acetominophen (Jang 2003).

>

> If you decide to use American skullcap, however, you

> should be sure to purchase a reputable commercial

> product. If you have any doubts about the contents

> of the product you purchase, do not take it. Also,

> experts recommend that you do not take skullcap if

> you have any pre-existing liver condition, just to

> be on the safe side.

>

> Medicinal herbs should be respected as medicines.

> This means that if they have can positive effects

> they can also have negative ones as well. A moderate

> amount of tea prepared from the leaves and other

> aerial parts of this mint-like plant is not likely

> to be harmful to most people. But patients should

> consult a medicinal herbalist or other qualified

> practitioner about its use.

>

> Also, remember that the information presented here

> is primarily based on traditional ethnobotanical

> usage or else preliminary laboratory experiments.

> Neither of these sources, in my opinion, provides a

> reliable basis for therapeutic decisions. Only

> carefully designed clinical trials can answer the

> key questions about what these herbs can do to or

> for cancer patients. However, such trials are

> expensive to perform and may take a long time to

> organize. In the meantime, using Scutellaria under a

> skilled practitioner's guidance could be useful,

> provided one does not rely on this treatment to the

> exclusion of more proven forms of cancer therapy.

>

>

>

> --Ralph W. Moss, PhD

>

> =======================

>

> References:

>

>

> Amosova, EN, et al. The search for new anti-ulcer

> agents from plants in Siberia and the Far East. Eksp

> Klin farmakol 1998;61:31-5.

>

> BBC News. Mint leaf starves cancer to death.

> Retrieved July 20 from:

> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3870231.stm

>

> Camber, Rebecca. Mint hope for cancer cure.

> Manchester News. July 5, 2004. Retrieved July 21

> from:

>

http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/news/s/123/123057_mint_hope_for_cancer_cure.ht\

ml

>

> Chan FL et al. 2000. Induction of apoptosis in

> prostate cancer cell lines by a flavonoid, baicalin.

> Cancer Lett. 160:219-28.

>

> Chan HY, Chen ZY, Tsang DS, Leung LK. 2002.

> Baicalein inhibits DMBA-DNA adduct formation by

> modulating CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 activities. Biomed

> Pharmacother. 2002 Aug;56(6):269-75.

>

> Chang YL, Shen JJ, et al. 2001. Chinese herbal

> remedy wogonin inhibits monocyte chemotactic

> protein-1 gene expression in human endothelial

> cells. Mol Pharmacol. 2001 Sep;60(3):507-13.

>

> Chang WH, Chen CH, Lu FJ. 2002. Different effects of

> baicalein, baicalin and wogonin on mitochondrial

> function, glutathione content and cell cycle

> progression in human hepatoma cell lines.Planta Med.

> 2002 Feb;68(2):128-32.

>

> Chiu JH, Lay IS, Su MY, Chiu HL, Chiu AC, Lui WY, Wu

> CW. 2002. Tumor necrosis factor-producing activity

> of wogonin In RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cell line.

> Planta Med. 2002 Nov;68(11):1036-9.

>

> Choi J, Conrad CC, Malakowsky CA, Talent JM, Yuan

> CS, Gracy RW. 2002. Flavones from Scutellaria

> baicalensis Georgi attenuate apoptosis and protein

> oxidation in neuronal cell lines.Biochim Biophys

> Acta. 2002 Jul 3;1571(3):201-10.

>

> Ducki S, et al. Isolation of trans

> 4-(4'-hydroxyphenyl)but-3-en-2-one from Scutellaria

> barbata. Planta Medica, 1996, 62, 185.

>

> Hadfield JA, Ducki S, Hirst N, McGown AT. Tubulin

> and microtubules as targets for anticancer drugs.

> Prog Cell Cycle Res. 2003;5:309-25. Review.

>

> Hsu SL, et al. 2001. Baicalein induces a dual growth

> arrest by modulating multiple cell cycle regulatory

> molecules. Eur J Pharmacol. 17:165-71.

>

> Huang RL, Chen CC, et al. Anti-hepatitis B virus

> effects of wogonin isolated from Scutellaria

> baicalensis. Planta Med. 2000 Dec;66(8):694-8.

>

> Jang SI, Kim HJ, Hwang KM, Jekal SJ, Pae HO, Choi

> BM, Yun YG, Kwon TO, Chung HT, Kim YC.

> Hepatoprotective effect of baicalin, a major flavone

> from Scutellaria radix, on acetaminophen-induced

> liver injury in mice. Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol.

> 2003 Nov;25(4):585-94.

>

> Kimura Y, Matsushita N, Yokoi-Hayashi K, Okuda H..

> Effects of baicalein isolated from Scutellaria

> baicalensis Radix on adhesion molecule expression

> induced by thrombin and thrombin receptor agonist

> peptide in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial

> cells.Planta Med. 2001 Jun;67(4):331-4.

>

> Lee CJ, Lee JH, et al. Effects of baicalein,

> berberine, curcumin and hesperidin on mucin release

> from airway goblet cells. Planta Med. 2003

> Jun;69(6):523-6.

>

> Lee BH, Lee SJ, Kang TH, Kim DH, Sohn DH, Ko GI, Kim

> YC. Baicalein: an in vitro antigenotoxic compound

> from Scutellaria baicalensis.Planta Med. 2000

> Feb;66(1):70-1.

>

> Lee H, Kim YO, Kim H, et al. Flavonoid wogonin from

> medicinal herb is neuroprotective by inhibiting

> inflammatory activation of microglia. FASEB J. 2003

> Oct;17(13):1943-4. Epub 2003 Aug 01

>

> Lee HH, Yang LL, et al. Differential effects of

> natural polyphenols on neuronal survival in primary

> cultured central neurons against glutamate- and

> glucose deprivation-induced neuronal death. Brain

> Res. 2003 Oct 3;986(1-2):103-13.

>

> Li, BQ. Dongyan Y et al. Flavonoid baicalin inhibits

> HIV-1 infection at the level of viral entry. Biochem

> Biophys Res Commun 276:534-8.

>

> Li BQ et al. Inhibition of HIV infection by

> baicalin – a flavonoid compound purified from

> Chinese herbal medicine. Cell Mol Biol Res.

> 1993;39:119-24.

>

> Lim BO, Choue RW, et al. Effect of the flavonoid

> components obtained from Scutellaria radix on the

> histamine, immunoglobulin E and lipid peroxidation

> of spleen lymphocytes of Sprague-Dawley rats. Biosci

> Biotechnol Biochem. 2003 May;67(5):1126-9.

>

> Lin HY, Juan SH, et al. Inhibition of

> lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide production

> by flavonoids in RAW264.7 macrophages involves heme

> oxygenase-1. Biochem Pharmacol. 2003;66(9):1821-32.

>

> Liu IX, Durham DG, Richards RM.. Baicalin synergy

> with beta-lactam antibiotics against

> methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and

> other beta-lactam-resistant strains of S. aureus. J

> Pharm Pharmacol. 2000 Mar;52(3):361-6.

>

> Liu JJ, Huang TS, et al. 2003. Baicalein and

> baicalin are potent inhibitors of angiogenesis:

> Inhibition of endothelial cell proliferation,

> migration and differentiation. Int J Cancer. 2003

> Sep 10;106(4):559-65.

>

> Ma SC, Du J, But PP, Deng XL, Zhang YW, Ooi VE, Xu

> HX, Lee SH, Lee SF. 2002. Antiviral Chinese

> medicinal herbs against respiratory syncytial

> virus.J Ethnopharmacol. 2002 Feb;79(2):205-11.

>

> Nagai, T. et al. Antiviral activity of plant

> flavonoid, 5,7,4'-trihydroxy-8-methoxyflavone, from

> the roots of Scutellaria baicalensis against

> influenza A (H3N2) and B viruses. Biol Pharm Bull

> 1995;18:295-9.

>

> Nagai T, et al. In vivo anti-influenza virus

> activity of plant flavonoids possessing inhibitory

> activity for influenza virus sialidase. Antiviral

> Res. 1992;19:207-17.

>

> Nagai, T. et al Mode of action of the

> anti-influenza virus activity of plant flavonoid,

> 5,7,4/-trihydroxy-8-methoxyflavone, from the roots

> of Scutellaria baicalensis. Antiviral Res.

> 1995;26:11-25.

>

> Po LS, Chen ZY, Tsang DS, Leung LK.2002. Baicalein

> and genistein display differential actions on

> estrogen receptor (ER) transactivation and apoptosis

> in MCF-7 cells.Cancer Lett. 2002 Dec

> 10;187(1-2):33-40.

>

> Sato Y, Suzaki S, Nishikawa T, Kihara M, Shibata H,

> Higuti T.. 2000. Phytochemical flavones isolated

> from Scutellaria barbata and antibacterial activity

> against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

> J Ethnopharmacol. 2000 Oct;72(3):483-8.

>

> Smol'ianinov ES. 1997. Effect of Scutellaria

> baicalensis extract on the immunologic status of

> patients with lung cancer receiving antineoplastic

> chemotherapy. Eksp Klin Farmakol 60:49-51.

>

> Suk K, Lee H, et al. 2003. Flavonoid baicalein

> attenuates activation-induced cell death of brain

> microglia. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2003

> May;305(2):638-45. Epub 2003 Jan 21.

>

> Wu JA, et al. Anti-HIV activity of medicinal herbs:

> usage and potential development. Am J Chin Med.

> 2001;29:69-81.

>

> Yan M, Gao X, Liu L, Chen F, Yang H, Song H, Wang X,

> Yi H. [Observation on inhibitory effect of Coptis

> alone and its combination with Scutellaria and

> Liquorice on the growth of Staphylococcus

> aureus]Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 1998

> Jun;23(6):375-7, inside back cover. Chinese.

>

> Yano H, Mizoguchi A, et al. The herbal medicine

> sho-saiko-to inhibits proliferation of cancer cell

> lines by inducing apoptosis and arrest at the G0/G1

> phase. Cancer Res. 1994 Jan 15;54(2):448-54.

>

> Ye F, Xui L, Yi J, Zhang W, Zhang DY. Anticancer

> Activity of Scutellaria baicalensis and its

> potential mechanism. J Altern Complement Med.

> 2002;8:567-72.

>

> Sale of Scutellaria barbata:

>

http://www.kalyx.com/store/proddetail.cfm/ItemID/16244.0/CategoryID/1000.0/SubCa\

tID/10.0/file.htm

>

> ---------------

> IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER

>

> The news and other items in this newsletter are

> intended for informational purposes only. Nothing in

> this newsletter is intended to be a substitute for

> professional medical advice.

>

> --------------

>

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