A medical research team in Seoul, South Korea has found that certain traditional herbal medicines are effective in treating some types of cancer cells.
The study found that an herbal formula consisting of Achyranthes japonica Nakai (AJN) (also known as chaff flower) and Melandrium firmum Rohrbach (MFR) in a ratio of 2 to 1, had anti-cancer properties when tested on castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) cells. The herbal compound is known as BK002 in Korean medicine.
Through experiments, Kim’s research group found that the BK002 formula was able to target the PC3 CRPC cell line and the DU145 prostate cancer cell line, without affecting normal cells.
Herbal Treatments: Fewer Side Effects
The study indicates that traditional Chinese and Korean medicine may have an advantage over Western medicine in treating certain types of cancer.Writing in the Korean language journal Medical Today in April, reporter Min-Jun Kim said, “Existing anticancer drugs have many side effects. In fact, patients who can no longer receive treatment at the terminal stage of cancer are visiting oriental medicine hospitals.”
Min-Jun commented, “The key to treating castration-resistant prostate cancer is to alleviate the side effects and pain caused by chemotherapy rather than to increase the survival rate. This is because anticancer drugs, which are highly cytotoxic, affect both cancer cells and normal cells, creating various side effects.”
Compared to conventional western anticancer drugs, traditional Chinese or Korean medicine may be less toxic to normal cells. It is also less expensive, and therefore, more accessible to patients.
Medicinal Effects of Herbs Used in the Study
Achyranthes japonica Nakai (AJN) has been shown to possess a wide range of therapeutic functions. It has anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and wound-healing effects. In Chinese medicinal terms, it can remove blood stasis, clear the meridians, invigorate the liver and kidney, and strengthen muscles and bones.Daemonorops draco Blume, also known as Dragon’s blood, can stop bleeding, help blood circulation, and provide pain relief. In addition, it has anti-inflammatory and wound-healing effects.
In Chinese medicinal terms, Motherwort promotes blood circulation, removes blood stasis, regulates menstruation, diuresis, and swelling, clears heat and detoxification, and improves eyesight. Western research indicates that it may improve circulation, act as an anticoagulant, and treat diuresis.