Search is Powered by Google
Follow us on:
Follow our health news on Twitter
Follow Our News on Facebook
Personalization
login | register
Cancer / Oncology News

Mushroom May Boost Cancer Therapy Drug

Main Category: Cancer / Oncology
Article Date: 08 Aug 2006 - 0:00 PDT

email icon email to a friend   printer icon printer friendly   write icon view / write opinions   rate icon rate article


Current Article Ratings:

Patient / Public:3 and a half stars

3.4 (5 votes)

Health Professional:5 stars

5 (2 votes)

Article Opinions: 0 posts

A mushroom used for centuries in Eastern Asian medicine might be able to improve the effects of a particular anticancer drug, according to research published in the British Journal of Cancer* today.

Researchers based at the Boston University School of Medicine in the USA studied extracts of a type of mushroom called Phellinus linteus**. They tested its effects on prostate cancer cells and found that when it was combined with doxorubicin, a well-known cancer chemotherapy drug, it increased the number of cancer cells killed by the drug.

Their findings raise the possibility that a constituent of these mushrooms could one day be used in combination with existing chemotherapy to boost the effectiveness of treatment for some cancer patients. It might also mean lower doses of chemotherapy would be needed to achieve the same response.

Lead researcher Dr Chang-Yan Chen said: "This species of mushroom has been reported to have some degree of activity in cancer patients. Our aim was to study what effect, if any, extracts of Phellinus linteus have, but we also need to know precisely how it produces these effects. Only when we have all this information will we be able to make full, safe and effective use of these mushroom extracts in people."

The laboratory studies showed that low doses of doxorubicin or mushroom extract alone could not kill prostate cancer cells. Higher doses of the drug did kill them, but combining a low dose of doxorubicin with mushroom extract killed even more cancer cells, and did not affect healthy cells.

The researchers could not be sure of how the mushroom extract, provided by Dr Sung-Hoon Kim of Kyung Hee University, South Korea, produced its effect, although they have learned more about its activity in cells.

Dr Richard Sullivan, director of clinical programmes at Cancer Research UK, said: "Many important drugs have been developed from natural sources, including the anticancer drug Taxol, derived from yew trees. Fungi contributed in the development of penicillin and the migraine drug ergotamine.

"But compounds from natural products cannot be assumed to be safe. Rigorous scientific studies are required to understand the full range of effects they produce. There was evidence that extracts of Phellinus linteus slowed tumour progression. Now they have shown promise in combination with one type of chemotherapy drug, but it is still too early to say whether it will be successful in the long run."

* British Journal of Cancer, Volume 95, Issue 3 - British Journal of Cancer
** Phellinus linteus is called 'song gen' in Chinese medicine, 'sang-hwang' in Korean, and 'meshimakobu' in Japanese.

Dr Sullivan is a co-author of "Medicinal Mushrooms and Cancer" - available for download here.

British Journal of Cancer

The BJC's mission is to encourage communication of the very best cancer research from laboratories and clinics in all countries. Broad coverage, its editorial independence and consistent high standards have made BJC one of the world's premier general cancer journals. www.nature.com/bjc

About Cancer Research UK

-- Together with its partners and supporters, Cancer Research UK's vision is to beat cancer.
-- Cancer Research UK carries out world-class research to improve understanding of the disease and find out how to prevent, diagnose and treat different kinds of cancer.
-- Cancer Research UK ensures that its findings are used to improve the lives of all cancer patients.
-- Cancer Research UK helps people to understand cancer, the progress that is being made and the choices each person can make.
-- Cancer Research UK works in partnership with others to achieve the greatest impact in the global fight against cancer.

http://info.cancerresearchuk.org

View drug information on Taxol.





Personalized Homepage Weekly Newsletters Daily News Alerts
Hemophilia Opioid Induced Constipation Pneumococcal Disease ADHD Anxiety Asthma Atrial Fibrillation Autism Cancer Diabetes Lung Cancer Lupus Medicare / Medicaid Obesity and BMI Pancreatic Cancer Stem Cells All 'What Is...' Articles

Ophthalmology Urology
About Us News Licensing Free Website Feeds Free Tools & Content Tell a Friend Accessibility Help / FAQ Article Submission Links Contact Us

add medical news today to your facebook
medical news gadget

Please fill in our survey

Swine Flu Image

Swine Flu Updates

- Latest Swine Flu News
- What is Swine Flu?
- Map Of H1N1 Outbreaks
- Swine Flu - Top 20 FAQ
- Daily Email News Alerts
Stick with Medical News Today for the latest news updates on swine flu.


These are the most read articles from this news category for the last 6 months:
Top Article Star
Cellphones Cause Brain Tumors, Says New Report By International EMF Collaborative
26 Aug 2009
A new report, "Cellphones and Brain Tumors: 15 Reasons for Concern, Science, Spin and the Truth Behind Interphone," was released today by a collaborative of international EMF activists...


Stages of Breast Cancer image Stages of Breast Cancer

Breast cancer stages tell us the characteristics of the cancer and if it has spread beyond the breast tissue. Doctors can use this information to guide treatment decisions. Learn how staging is vital in determining next steps...

Living with Breast Cancer image Living with Breast Cancer

There are many options for treating breast cancer, including surgery, hormonal treatments, radiation and chemotherapy. All of these treatments have potential physical and emotional side effects. Discover how two women went through treatment and what they did to cope...

View more videos...