Cytotoxic effects of ultra-diluted remedies on breast cancer cells.
The use of ultra-diluted natural products in the management of disease and treatment of cancer has generated a lot of interest and controversy. We conducted an in vitro study to determine if products prescribed by a clinic in India have any effect on breast cancer cell lines. We studied four ultra-diluted remedies (Carcinosin, Phytolacca, Conium and Thuja) against two human breast adenocarcinoma cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) and a cell line derived from immortalized normal human mammary epithelial cells (HMLE). The remedies exerted preferential cytotoxic effects against the two breast cancer cell lines, causing cell cycle delay/arrest and apoptosis. These effects were accompanied by altered expression of the cell cycle regulatory proteins, including downregulation of phosphorylated Rb and upregulation of the CDK inhibitor p27, which were likely responsible for the cell cycle delay/arrest as well as induction of the apoptotic cascade that manifested in the activation of caspase 7 and cleavage of PARP in the treated cells. The findings demonstrate biological activity of these natural products when presented at ultra-diluted doses. Further in-depth studies with additional cell lines and animal models are warranted to explore the clinical applicability of these agents.
Frenkel
Moshe
M
Integrative Medicine Program-Unit 145, Department of Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030-4009, USA. frenkelm@netvision.net.il
Mishra
Bal Mukund
BM
Sen
Subrata
S
Yang
Peiying
P
Pawlus
Alison
A
Vence
Luis
L
Leblanc
Aimee
A
Cohen
Lorenzo
L
Banerji
Pratip
P
Banerji
Prasanta
P
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002469:Cell Separation; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D029982:Conium / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D006705:Homeopathy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D007194:India; D029603:Phytolacca / Q000737:chemistry; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D016615:Telomere / Q000187:drug effects; D029783:Thuja / Q000737:chemistry
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents