|
Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
|
Integrative Cancer Therapies, Vol. 5, No. 4,
356-361 (2006)
DOI: 10.1177/1534735406294224
Homeopathic Medicines Do Not Alter Growth and Gene Expression in Prostate and Breast Cancer Cells In Vitro
Rajesh L. Thangapazham, MS
Department of Pathology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland; Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, India
Jaya P. Gaddipati, PhD
N. V. Rajeshkumar, PhD
Department of Pathology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland
Anuj Sharma, MS
Department of Pathology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland; Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, India
Anoop K. Singh, PhD
Department of Pathology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland
John A. Ives, PhD
Samueli Institute, Alexandria, Virginia
Radha K. Maheshwari, PhD
Department of Pathology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland
Wayne B. Jonas, MD
Samueli Institute, 1700 Diagonal Road, Suite 400, Alexandria, VA 22314; wjonas{at}siib.org
Background: Homeopathy is an alternative medical system practiced in all parts of the world. Although several theories are proposed to explain the mechanisms of action, none are scientifically verified. In this study, the authors investigate the effect of selected homeopathic remedies often used to treat prostate and breast cancer. Materials and Methods: The authors investigated the effect of the homeopathic medicines Conium maculatum, Sabal serrulata, Thuja occidentalis, Asterias, Phytolacca, and Carcinosin on prostate and breast cancer cell (DU-145, LNCaP, MAT-LyLu, MDA-MB-231) growth and on gene expression that regulates apoptosis, using MTT and multiprobe ribonuclease protection assay. Results: None of the homeopathic remedies tested in different potencies produced significant inhibitory or growth-promoting activity in either prostate or breast cancer cells. Also, gene expression studies by ribonuclease protection assay produced no significant changes in mRNA levels of bax, bcl-2, bcl-x, caspase-1, caspase-2, caspase-3, Fas, or FasL after treatment with homeopathic medicines. Conclusions: The results demonstrate that the highly diluted homeopathic remedies used by homeopathic practitioners for cancer show no measurable effects on cell growth or gene expression in vitro using currently available methodologies.
Key Words: homeopathy • DU-145 • LNCaP • MAT-LyLu • MDA-MB-231 • apoptosis • carcinosin
References
- Shang A, Huwiler-Muntener K, Nartey L, et al. Are the clinical effects of homoeopathy placebo effects? Comparative study of placebo-controlled trials of homoeopathy and allopathy. Lancet. 2005;366:726-732.[CrossRef][Medline]
[Order article via Infotrieve]
- Paterson IC. Homeopathy: what is it and is it of value in the care of patients with cancer? Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol). 2002; 14:250-253.
- Ernst E. A systematic review of systematic reviews of homeopathy. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2002;54:577-582.[CrossRef][Medline]
[Order article via Infotrieve]
- Vandenbroucke JP, de Craen AJ. Alternative medicine: a "mirror image" for scientific reasoning in conventional medicine. Ann Intern Med. 2001;135:507-513.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
- Jonas WB, Kaptchuk TJ, Linde K. A critical overview of homeopathy. Ann Intern Med. 2003;138:393-399.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
- Jonas WB, Gaddipati JP, Rajeshkumar NV, et al. In vitro and in vivo assessment of homeopathic treatment for prostate cancer. Paper presented at: Society of Integrative Oncology First International Conference; November 18, 2004; New York, NY.
- Schwartz G, Russek L. The plausibility of homeopathy: the systemic memory mechanism. Integr Med. 1998;1:53-59.
- Schwartz G, Russek L. Do all dynamical systems have memory? Implications of the systemic memory hypothesis for science and society. In: Pribram K, ed. Brain and Values: Is a Biological Science of Values Possible? Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates; 1998.
- Schwartz GE, Russek LG. Dynamical energy systems and modern physics: fostering the science and spirit of complementary and alternative medicine. Altern Ther Health Med. 1997;3: 46-56.[Medline]
[Order article via Infotrieve]
- Jonas WB, Gaddipati JP, Rajeshkumar NV, et al. Can homeopathic treatment slow prostate cancer growth? Integ Cancer Ther. 2006;5:343-349.
- Seligmann IC, Lima PD, Cardoso PC, et al. The anticancer homeopathic composite "Canova Method" is not genotoxic for human lymphocytes in vitro. Genet Mol Res. 2003;2: 223-228.[Medline]
[Order article via Infotrieve]
- Dantas F, Rampes H. Do homeopathic medicines provoke adverse effects? A systematic review. Br Homeopath J. 2000; 89(suppl 1):S35-S38.
- Pathak S, Multani AS, Banerji P. Ruta 6 selectively induces cell death in brain cancer cells but proliferation in normal peripheral blood lymphocytes: a novel treatment for human brain cancer. Int J Oncol. 2003;23:975-982.[Medline]
[Order article via Infotrieve]
- Pathak S, Kumar Das J, Jyoti Biswas S, Khuda-Bukhsh AR. Protective potentials of a potentized homeopathic drug, lycopodium-30, in ameliorating azo dye induced hepatocarcinogenesis in mice. Mol Cell Biochem. 2006;285:121-131.[CrossRef][Medline]
[Order article via Infotrieve]
- Wu J. Apoptosis and angiogenesis: two promising tumor markers in breast cancer (review). Anticancer Res. 1996;16: 2233-2239.[Medline]
[Order article via Infotrieve]
- Van Wijk R, Weigant F. Homeopathy and the mammalian cell: programmed cell recovery and new strategies. In: Ernst E, Hahn E, eds. Homeopathy: A Critical Appraisal. Newton, Mass: Butterworth-Heinemann; 1998:180-186.
- Khuda-Bukhsh A. Towards understanding molecular mechanisms of action of homeopathic drugs: an overview. Mol Cell Biochem. 2003;253:339-345.[CrossRef][Medline]
[Order article via Infotrieve]
- Gaddipati JP, Rajeshkumar NV, Grove J, et al. Low dose cadmium exposure reduces human prostate cell transformation in culture and up-regulates metallothionein and MT-1G mRNA. Nonlinearity Biol Toxicol Med. 2003;1:199-212.[CrossRef]
 CiteULike  Connotea  Del.icio.us  Digg  Reddit  Technorati What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
|
|
 
A. Munshi, L. H. Ni, and M. S. Tiwana
Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Present Day Oncology Care: Promises and Pitfalls
Jpn. J. Clin. Oncol.,
August 5, 2008;
(2008)
hyn066v1.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
