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Konrad Urech - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Research Article Evaluation of Preclinical Assays to Investigate an Anthroposophic Pharmaceutical Process Applied to Mistletoe (Viscum Album L.) Extracts
2016Co-Authors: Stephan Baumgartner, Matthias Kunz, Heidi Flückiger, Claudia Scherr, Konrad UrechAbstract:License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Extracts from European mistletoe (Viscum Album L.) developed in anthroposophic medicine are based on specific pharmaceutical procedures to enhance remedy efficacy. One such anthroposophic pharmaceutical process was evaluated regarding effects on cancer cell toxicity in vitro and on colchicine tumor formation in Lepidium sativum. Anthroposophically processed Viscum Album Extract (APVAE)was produced bymixingwinter and summermistletoe Extracts in the edge of a high-speed rotating disk andwas compared with manually mixed Viscum Album Extract (VAE). The antiproliferative effect of VAE/APVAE was determined in five cell lines (NCI-H460, DU-145, HCC1143,MV3, and PA-TU-8902) byWST-1 assay in vitro; no difference was found betweenVAE andAPVAE in any cell line tested
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interaction of a standardized mistletoe Viscum Album preparation with antitumor effects of trastuzumab in vitro
BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2016Co-Authors: Ulrike Weissenstein, Matthias Kunz, Konrad Urech, Ursula Regueiro, Stephan BaumgartnerAbstract:Besides conventional anticancer therapy many breast cancer patients use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) like the medicinal herb mistletoe (Viscum Album L.). To gain more knowledge about possible herb-drug interactions between CAM and conventional anticancer medications, in the present in vitro study we investigated the effect of a standardized mistletoe preparation on the action of Trastuzumab, a drug used for the treatment of Her-2 positive breast cancer. The Her-2 positive human breast carcinoma cell line SK-BR-3 was treated with Trastuzumab. Different doses of the drug were combined with Viscum Album Extract (VAE) in clinically relevant doses. Proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle and the secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were analyzed. No inhibition of antitumor efficacy of Trastuzumab by VAE was detected. VAE and Trastuzumab, either alone or in combination, inhibited proliferation of SK-BR-3 cells in vitro. At higher concentrations VAE induced apoptosis, which was not observed for Trastuzumab. Cells treated with Trastuzumab underwent a G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and cells treated with VAE a G2/M arrest. After application of the two drugs in combination both G0/G1 and G2/M arrest was observed. VEGF secretion of SK-BR-3 cells was significantly inhibited by sole treatment with Trastuzumab or VAE. Combined treatment of Trastuzumab and VAE at clinically relevant doses showed additive inhibitory effects on VEGF secretion. VAE did not interfere with cytostatic effects of Trastuzumab on SK-BR-3 cells in vitro. Our in vitro results suggest that no risk of safety by herb drug interactions has to be expected from the exposition of cancer cells to Trastuzumab and VAE simultaneously. In contrast, VAE and Trastuzumab seem to exhibit complementary anti-cancer effects in vitro.
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interaction of standardized mistletoe Viscum Album Extracts with chemotherapeutic drugs regarding cytostatic and cytotoxic effects in vitro
BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2014Co-Authors: Ulrike Weissenstein, Matthias Kunz, Konrad Urech, Stephan BaumgartnerAbstract:Given the importance of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to cancer patients, there is an increasing need to learn more about possible interactions between CAM and anticancer drugs. Mistletoe (Viscum Album L.) belongs to the medicinal herbs that are used as supportive care during chemotherapy. In the in vitro study presented here the effect of standardized mistletoe preparations on the cytostatic and cytotoxic activity of several common conventional chemotherapeutic drugs was investigated using different cancer cell lines. Human breast carcinoma cell lines HCC1937 and HCC1143 were treated with doxorubicin hydrochloride, pancreas adenocarcinoma cell line PA-TU-8902 with gemcitabine hydrochloride, prostate carcinoma cell line DU145 with docetaxel and mitoxantrone hydrochloride and lung carcinoma cell line NCI-H460 was treated with docetaxel and cisplatin. Each dose of the respective chemotherapeutic drug was combined with Viscum Album Extract (VAE) in clinically relevant concentrations and proliferation and apoptosis were measured. VAE did not inhibit chemotherapy induced cytostasis and cytotoxicity in any of our experimental settings. At higher concentrations VAE showed an additive inhibitory effect. Our in vitro results suggest that no risk of safety by herb drug interactions has to be expected from the exposition of cancer cells to chemotherapeutic drugs and VAE simultaneously.
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Evaluation of Preclinical Assays to Investigate an Anthroposophic Pharmaceutical Process Applied to Mistletoe (Viscum Album L.) Extracts
Hindawi Limited, 2014Co-Authors: Stephan Baumgartner, Matthias Kunz, Heidi Flückiger, Claudia Scherr, Konrad UrechAbstract:Extracts from European mistletoe (Viscum Album L.) developed in anthroposophic medicine are based on specific pharmaceutical procedures to enhance remedy efficacy. One such anthroposophic pharmaceutical process was evaluated regarding effects on cancer cell toxicity in vitro and on colchicine tumor formation in Lepidium sativum. Anthroposophically processed Viscum Album Extract (APVAE) was produced by mixing winter and summer mistletoe Extracts in the edge of a high-speed rotating disk and was compared with manually mixed Viscum Album Extract (VAE). The antiproliferative effect of VAE/APVAE was determined in five cell lines (NCI-H460, DU-145, HCC1143, MV3, and PA-TU-8902) by WST-1 assay in vitro; no difference was found between VAE and APVAE in any cell line tested (P>0.14). Incidence of colchicine tumor formation was assessed by measurement of the root/shoot-ratio of seedlings of Lepidium sativum treated with colchicine as well as VAE, APVAE, or water. Colchicine tumor formation decreased after application of VAE (−5.4% compared to water, P
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antiproliferative effects of mistletoe Viscum Album l Extract in urinary bladder carcinoma cell lines
Anticancer Research, 2006Co-Authors: Konrad Urech, Arndt Buessing, George N Thalmann, Heinrich Schaefermeyer, Peter HeusserAbstract:Background: The aim of the study was to evaluate the antiproliferative potency of Viscum Album Extract (VA-E) in human bladder carcinoma cell lines with regard to its possible use for intravesical therapy of superficial bladder cancer. Materials and Methods: Proliferation (MTT-test or 3 H-thymidine incorporation), necrotic disintegration ( 3 H-thymidine release of prelabelled cells) and portions of apoptotic and/or necrotic cells (Annexin-V binding, propidium iodide (PI) labelling and DNA-fluorescence profiles by flow cytometry) were measured in four different human bladder carcinoma cell lines (T24, TCCSUP, J82 and UM-UC3) cultured in vitro. Results: Antiproliferative effects of VA-E were observed in the four bladder carcinoma cell lines tested. Metabolic activity could also be completely abrogated by short-time contact of the cells with VA-E. Apoptosis and necrosis, as underlying mechanisms of action, were differentially expressed by the different cell lines. Conclusion: VA-E and cytotoxic proteins, i.e., mistletoe lectins (ML) and viscotoxins (VT), were able to block the growth of bladder carcinoma cells. Together with the immunomodulating properties of VA-E, the observed antiproliferative potency might give a rationale for the topical intravesical application of VA-E for the treatment of superficial bladder cancer. Approximately 80% of all bladder cancer is confined to the epithelium and to the submucosa and is termed superficial. This group of tumors is heterogeneous with differing natural histories (1). Superficial bladder tumors have a strong tendency to recur, with reported 5-, 10- and 15-year recurrence rates of 65%, 81% and 88%, respectively (2). In the majority of cases, the recurrence is also superficial, but in 5% to 30% of patients, the recurrent tumor invades into the muscular layer of the bladder (i.e., progression). Once the
Gunver S. Kienle - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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long term survival of a patient with an inoperable thymic neuroendocrine tumor stage iiia under sole treatment with Viscum Album Extract a care compliant clinical case report
Medicine, 2020Co-Authors: Maria Reynel, Paul G Werthmann, Helmut Kiene, Yvan Villegas, Gunver S. KienleAbstract:Rationale Thymic neuroendocrine tumor (TNET) is very rare and characterized by a tendency to invade adjacent structures, frequent metastasis, resistance to therapy, and a poor prognosis. Viscum Album Extracts (VAE) have shown immunological, apoptogenic, and cytotoxic properties. Patient concerns A 54-year-old Peruvian man was suffering from constant fatigue, cough, dyspnea, and fever for a couple of months. Diagnoses He was diagnosed with TNET (12.8 cm × 10 cm × 7 cm) stage IIIa, G1. Due to the size and extensive invasiveness (vena cava superior, also obstructing 85% of its lumen, pericardium, and pleura), the TNET was inoperable. Interventions We report the case of this patient who declined chemotherapy and was treated instead with sole subcutaneous VAE 3 times per week for 85 months. No other tumor-specific intervention was applied. Outcomes Quality of life (QoL) improved substantially. The patient returned to work, and the tumor remained stable for 71 months. Thereafter, the tumor progressed, and the patient died 90 months after initial diagnosis. Besides self-limited local skin reactions around the application site, no side effects occurred. Lessons This is an exceptionally good course of disease of an inoperable, large, obstructing, and invasive TNET with a reduced baseline condition (Karnofsky index: 50-60) due to pronounced symptoms. Given the considerable reduction of symptoms and improved QoL following the onset of VAE therapy and other reports describing long disease stability and improvement of the QoL using VAE in different cancer types, we presume that the VAE treatment was supportive in this case. As TNETs are rare and few trials are available, future treatments of TNETs using VAE should be carefully documented and published to help determine whether further investigation of the use of VAE in TNET treatment is worthwhile.
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durable clinical remission of a skull metastasis under intralesional Viscum Album Extract therapy case report
Head and Neck-journal for The Sciences and Specialties of The Head and Neck, 2018Co-Authors: Paul G Werthmann, Roman Huber, Gunver S. KienleAbstract:Background Skull metastases are rare, they can eventually cause pain, and can invade the brain. Viscum Album Extracts (VAEs) are used as an adjuvant treatment in cancer. Methods and Results A 68‐year‐old patient with rectal cancer presented with lung metastases, and metastases to multiple bone sites, the chest wall, and the liver were later identified. Histological examination of one of the bone lesions revealed an additional thyroid carcinoma. An osteolytic parietal bone lesion progressed to a painful metastasis of the skull despite radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The VAEs were applied weekly into the metastasis, followed by pain relief and softening of the lesion. The lesion partially regressed (>50%) after 8 months of continued VAE treatment and remained stable for 2 years. Conclusion This case shows a durable clinical remission of a skull metastasis under VAE. Further investigations of intratumoral VAE treatment seem worthwhile—especially in symptomatic skull metastases not responding to radiotherapy or systemic therapies.
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a 21 year course of merkel cell carcinoma with adjuvant Viscum Album Extract treatment a case report
Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 2018Co-Authors: Paul G Werthmann, Lothar Kindermann, Gunver S. KienleAbstract:Abstract Background Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, aggressive, neuroendocrine skin tumor with frequent local recurrence, lymph node involvement, distant metastasis, and a high mortality rate. Viscum Album Extracts (VAE) are a widely used adjunct in cancer treatment and show cytotoxic and immune-modulating effects. Case presentation A 64-year-old woman was diagnosed with a MCC of the left forearm. In the following course of 21 years, she experienced 4 episodes of lymph node relapse (axillary, submandibular, axillary, clavicular). All lesions were surgically excised. The patient declined chemotherapy and radiation and opted for adjuvant treatment with local subcutaneous VAE injections. Currently—21 years after first diagnosis and 9.5 years after the last relapse—the patient is tumor-free, in good health, and without functional limitations. Conclusion The presented case shows long-time survival in a patient with MCC treated with surgery and VAE injections. The immune system plays a key role in tumorigenesis of MCC. VAE enhances several immune pathways and might therefore contribute to immunologic tumor control in MCC. The role of VAE in MCC should further be investigated.
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complete remission and long term survival of a patient with melanoma metastases treated with high dose fever inducing Viscum Album Extract a case report
Medicine, 2017Co-Authors: Paul G Werthmann, Alexander Hintze, Gunver S. KienleAbstract:AbstractIntroduction:Metastatic malignant cutaneous melanoma (MCM)—a highly immunogenic cancer—typically has a poor prognosis. Viscum Album Extracts (VAEs) have strong immune-stimulating, apoptogenic, and cytotoxic effects.Case presentation:A 66-year-old MCM patient with newly diagnosed lymph node m
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Disappearance of an advanced adenomatous colon polyp after intratumoural injection with Viscum Album (European mistletoe) Extract: a case report.
Journal of gastrointestinal and liver diseases : JGLD, 2014Co-Authors: Tido Von Schoen-angerer, Helmut Kiene, Jan Vagedes, Andreas Goyert, Harald Merckens, Gunver S. KienleAbstract:Background & Aim: Extracts of Viscum Album (European mistletoe) have immune-stimulatory and cytotoxic eects, with trials showing a well-established eect on the quality of life and prolonged survival in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. Regression of tumours following intratumoural injection with Viscum Album Extract has been documented in individual cases. However, its inuence on colon polyps has not been investigated. Case presentation: We present the case of a 78-year-old Caucasian male who had undergone hemi-colectomy for a stage IIIC colon cancer but who refused adjuvant chemotherapy. Five years later a newly detected high- grade dysplasia colon adenoma was discovered; however, the adenoma could not be resected endoscopically and the patient did not consent to surgery. Intratumoural injections with Viscum Album L Extract (Quercus; Iscador®Qu) were administered twice in an attempt to limit tumour growth. Eight months aer the second intratumoural injection the adenoma had disappeared and biopsy revealed no intraepithelial dysplasia or adenoma. Conclusions: �is is therst report showing complete regression of a colon adenoma aer intratumoural injection with Viscum Album Extract. Prospective studies should evaluate if the treatment eect is reproducible and if this approach could be a useful pre-operative measure for colon adenomas too large for endoscopic resection.
Stephan Baumgartner - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Research Article Evaluation of Preclinical Assays to Investigate an Anthroposophic Pharmaceutical Process Applied to Mistletoe (Viscum Album L.) Extracts
2016Co-Authors: Stephan Baumgartner, Matthias Kunz, Heidi Flückiger, Claudia Scherr, Konrad UrechAbstract:License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Extracts from European mistletoe (Viscum Album L.) developed in anthroposophic medicine are based on specific pharmaceutical procedures to enhance remedy efficacy. One such anthroposophic pharmaceutical process was evaluated regarding effects on cancer cell toxicity in vitro and on colchicine tumor formation in Lepidium sativum. Anthroposophically processed Viscum Album Extract (APVAE)was produced bymixingwinter and summermistletoe Extracts in the edge of a high-speed rotating disk andwas compared with manually mixed Viscum Album Extract (VAE). The antiproliferative effect of VAE/APVAE was determined in five cell lines (NCI-H460, DU-145, HCC1143,MV3, and PA-TU-8902) byWST-1 assay in vitro; no difference was found betweenVAE andAPVAE in any cell line tested
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interaction of a standardized mistletoe Viscum Album preparation with antitumor effects of trastuzumab in vitro
BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2016Co-Authors: Ulrike Weissenstein, Matthias Kunz, Konrad Urech, Ursula Regueiro, Stephan BaumgartnerAbstract:Besides conventional anticancer therapy many breast cancer patients use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) like the medicinal herb mistletoe (Viscum Album L.). To gain more knowledge about possible herb-drug interactions between CAM and conventional anticancer medications, in the present in vitro study we investigated the effect of a standardized mistletoe preparation on the action of Trastuzumab, a drug used for the treatment of Her-2 positive breast cancer. The Her-2 positive human breast carcinoma cell line SK-BR-3 was treated with Trastuzumab. Different doses of the drug were combined with Viscum Album Extract (VAE) in clinically relevant doses. Proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle and the secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were analyzed. No inhibition of antitumor efficacy of Trastuzumab by VAE was detected. VAE and Trastuzumab, either alone or in combination, inhibited proliferation of SK-BR-3 cells in vitro. At higher concentrations VAE induced apoptosis, which was not observed for Trastuzumab. Cells treated with Trastuzumab underwent a G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and cells treated with VAE a G2/M arrest. After application of the two drugs in combination both G0/G1 and G2/M arrest was observed. VEGF secretion of SK-BR-3 cells was significantly inhibited by sole treatment with Trastuzumab or VAE. Combined treatment of Trastuzumab and VAE at clinically relevant doses showed additive inhibitory effects on VEGF secretion. VAE did not interfere with cytostatic effects of Trastuzumab on SK-BR-3 cells in vitro. Our in vitro results suggest that no risk of safety by herb drug interactions has to be expected from the exposition of cancer cells to Trastuzumab and VAE simultaneously. In contrast, VAE and Trastuzumab seem to exhibit complementary anti-cancer effects in vitro.
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interaction of standardized mistletoe Viscum Album Extracts with chemotherapeutic drugs regarding cytostatic and cytotoxic effects in vitro
BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2014Co-Authors: Ulrike Weissenstein, Matthias Kunz, Konrad Urech, Stephan BaumgartnerAbstract:Given the importance of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to cancer patients, there is an increasing need to learn more about possible interactions between CAM and anticancer drugs. Mistletoe (Viscum Album L.) belongs to the medicinal herbs that are used as supportive care during chemotherapy. In the in vitro study presented here the effect of standardized mistletoe preparations on the cytostatic and cytotoxic activity of several common conventional chemotherapeutic drugs was investigated using different cancer cell lines. Human breast carcinoma cell lines HCC1937 and HCC1143 were treated with doxorubicin hydrochloride, pancreas adenocarcinoma cell line PA-TU-8902 with gemcitabine hydrochloride, prostate carcinoma cell line DU145 with docetaxel and mitoxantrone hydrochloride and lung carcinoma cell line NCI-H460 was treated with docetaxel and cisplatin. Each dose of the respective chemotherapeutic drug was combined with Viscum Album Extract (VAE) in clinically relevant concentrations and proliferation and apoptosis were measured. VAE did not inhibit chemotherapy induced cytostasis and cytotoxicity in any of our experimental settings. At higher concentrations VAE showed an additive inhibitory effect. Our in vitro results suggest that no risk of safety by herb drug interactions has to be expected from the exposition of cancer cells to chemotherapeutic drugs and VAE simultaneously.
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Evaluation of Preclinical Assays to Investigate an Anthroposophic Pharmaceutical Process Applied to Mistletoe (Viscum Album L.) Extracts
Hindawi Limited, 2014Co-Authors: Stephan Baumgartner, Matthias Kunz, Heidi Flückiger, Claudia Scherr, Konrad UrechAbstract:Extracts from European mistletoe (Viscum Album L.) developed in anthroposophic medicine are based on specific pharmaceutical procedures to enhance remedy efficacy. One such anthroposophic pharmaceutical process was evaluated regarding effects on cancer cell toxicity in vitro and on colchicine tumor formation in Lepidium sativum. Anthroposophically processed Viscum Album Extract (APVAE) was produced by mixing winter and summer mistletoe Extracts in the edge of a high-speed rotating disk and was compared with manually mixed Viscum Album Extract (VAE). The antiproliferative effect of VAE/APVAE was determined in five cell lines (NCI-H460, DU-145, HCC1143, MV3, and PA-TU-8902) by WST-1 assay in vitro; no difference was found between VAE and APVAE in any cell line tested (P>0.14). Incidence of colchicine tumor formation was assessed by measurement of the root/shoot-ratio of seedlings of Lepidium sativum treated with colchicine as well as VAE, APVAE, or water. Colchicine tumor formation decreased after application of VAE (−5.4% compared to water, P
Paul G Werthmann - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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long term survival of a patient with an inoperable thymic neuroendocrine tumor stage iiia under sole treatment with Viscum Album Extract a care compliant clinical case report
Medicine, 2020Co-Authors: Maria Reynel, Paul G Werthmann, Helmut Kiene, Yvan Villegas, Gunver S. KienleAbstract:Rationale Thymic neuroendocrine tumor (TNET) is very rare and characterized by a tendency to invade adjacent structures, frequent metastasis, resistance to therapy, and a poor prognosis. Viscum Album Extracts (VAE) have shown immunological, apoptogenic, and cytotoxic properties. Patient concerns A 54-year-old Peruvian man was suffering from constant fatigue, cough, dyspnea, and fever for a couple of months. Diagnoses He was diagnosed with TNET (12.8 cm × 10 cm × 7 cm) stage IIIa, G1. Due to the size and extensive invasiveness (vena cava superior, also obstructing 85% of its lumen, pericardium, and pleura), the TNET was inoperable. Interventions We report the case of this patient who declined chemotherapy and was treated instead with sole subcutaneous VAE 3 times per week for 85 months. No other tumor-specific intervention was applied. Outcomes Quality of life (QoL) improved substantially. The patient returned to work, and the tumor remained stable for 71 months. Thereafter, the tumor progressed, and the patient died 90 months after initial diagnosis. Besides self-limited local skin reactions around the application site, no side effects occurred. Lessons This is an exceptionally good course of disease of an inoperable, large, obstructing, and invasive TNET with a reduced baseline condition (Karnofsky index: 50-60) due to pronounced symptoms. Given the considerable reduction of symptoms and improved QoL following the onset of VAE therapy and other reports describing long disease stability and improvement of the QoL using VAE in different cancer types, we presume that the VAE treatment was supportive in this case. As TNETs are rare and few trials are available, future treatments of TNETs using VAE should be carefully documented and published to help determine whether further investigation of the use of VAE in TNET treatment is worthwhile.
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durable clinical remission of a skull metastasis under intralesional Viscum Album Extract therapy case report
Head and Neck-journal for The Sciences and Specialties of The Head and Neck, 2018Co-Authors: Paul G Werthmann, Roman Huber, Gunver S. KienleAbstract:Background Skull metastases are rare, they can eventually cause pain, and can invade the brain. Viscum Album Extracts (VAEs) are used as an adjuvant treatment in cancer. Methods and Results A 68‐year‐old patient with rectal cancer presented with lung metastases, and metastases to multiple bone sites, the chest wall, and the liver were later identified. Histological examination of one of the bone lesions revealed an additional thyroid carcinoma. An osteolytic parietal bone lesion progressed to a painful metastasis of the skull despite radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The VAEs were applied weekly into the metastasis, followed by pain relief and softening of the lesion. The lesion partially regressed (>50%) after 8 months of continued VAE treatment and remained stable for 2 years. Conclusion This case shows a durable clinical remission of a skull metastasis under VAE. Further investigations of intratumoral VAE treatment seem worthwhile—especially in symptomatic skull metastases not responding to radiotherapy or systemic therapies.
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a 21 year course of merkel cell carcinoma with adjuvant Viscum Album Extract treatment a case report
Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 2018Co-Authors: Paul G Werthmann, Lothar Kindermann, Gunver S. KienleAbstract:Abstract Background Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, aggressive, neuroendocrine skin tumor with frequent local recurrence, lymph node involvement, distant metastasis, and a high mortality rate. Viscum Album Extracts (VAE) are a widely used adjunct in cancer treatment and show cytotoxic and immune-modulating effects. Case presentation A 64-year-old woman was diagnosed with a MCC of the left forearm. In the following course of 21 years, she experienced 4 episodes of lymph node relapse (axillary, submandibular, axillary, clavicular). All lesions were surgically excised. The patient declined chemotherapy and radiation and opted for adjuvant treatment with local subcutaneous VAE injections. Currently—21 years after first diagnosis and 9.5 years after the last relapse—the patient is tumor-free, in good health, and without functional limitations. Conclusion The presented case shows long-time survival in a patient with MCC treated with surgery and VAE injections. The immune system plays a key role in tumorigenesis of MCC. VAE enhances several immune pathways and might therefore contribute to immunologic tumor control in MCC. The role of VAE in MCC should further be investigated.
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complete remission and long term survival of a patient with melanoma metastases treated with high dose fever inducing Viscum Album Extract a case report
Medicine, 2017Co-Authors: Paul G Werthmann, Alexander Hintze, Gunver S. KienleAbstract:AbstractIntroduction:Metastatic malignant cutaneous melanoma (MCM)—a highly immunogenic cancer—typically has a poor prognosis. Viscum Album Extracts (VAEs) have strong immune-stimulating, apoptogenic, and cytotoxic effects.Case presentation:A 66-year-old MCM patient with newly diagnosed lymph node m
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durable response of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma following high dose peri lesional injections of Viscum Album Extracts a case report
Phytomedicine, 2013Co-Authors: Paul G Werthmann, Gregor Strater, Hedda Friesland, Gunver S. KienleAbstract:Abstract Background Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) is a common locally invasive skin cancer which rarely metastasises. First-line treatment is surgical excision, which is curative in most cases. Viscum Album Extract (VAE) is a widely used herbal cancer treatment with cytotoxic, apoptogenic and immunological effects, but has not been investigated in CSCC. Case presentation A 78-year-old patient with histologically diagnosed CSCC refused surgical excision and was treated with peri-lesional high-dose VAE. After 10 months of treatment the CSCC had disappeared clinically. The patient has been recurrence-free for 4 years. Conclusion The presented case shows clinical response of a CSCC to high-dose peri-lesional VAE injections. Further research on VAE in CSCC is warranted.
Matthias Kunz - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Research Article Evaluation of Preclinical Assays to Investigate an Anthroposophic Pharmaceutical Process Applied to Mistletoe (Viscum Album L.) Extracts
2016Co-Authors: Stephan Baumgartner, Matthias Kunz, Heidi Flückiger, Claudia Scherr, Konrad UrechAbstract:License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Extracts from European mistletoe (Viscum Album L.) developed in anthroposophic medicine are based on specific pharmaceutical procedures to enhance remedy efficacy. One such anthroposophic pharmaceutical process was evaluated regarding effects on cancer cell toxicity in vitro and on colchicine tumor formation in Lepidium sativum. Anthroposophically processed Viscum Album Extract (APVAE)was produced bymixingwinter and summermistletoe Extracts in the edge of a high-speed rotating disk andwas compared with manually mixed Viscum Album Extract (VAE). The antiproliferative effect of VAE/APVAE was determined in five cell lines (NCI-H460, DU-145, HCC1143,MV3, and PA-TU-8902) byWST-1 assay in vitro; no difference was found betweenVAE andAPVAE in any cell line tested
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interaction of a standardized mistletoe Viscum Album preparation with antitumor effects of trastuzumab in vitro
BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2016Co-Authors: Ulrike Weissenstein, Matthias Kunz, Konrad Urech, Ursula Regueiro, Stephan BaumgartnerAbstract:Besides conventional anticancer therapy many breast cancer patients use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) like the medicinal herb mistletoe (Viscum Album L.). To gain more knowledge about possible herb-drug interactions between CAM and conventional anticancer medications, in the present in vitro study we investigated the effect of a standardized mistletoe preparation on the action of Trastuzumab, a drug used for the treatment of Her-2 positive breast cancer. The Her-2 positive human breast carcinoma cell line SK-BR-3 was treated with Trastuzumab. Different doses of the drug were combined with Viscum Album Extract (VAE) in clinically relevant doses. Proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle and the secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were analyzed. No inhibition of antitumor efficacy of Trastuzumab by VAE was detected. VAE and Trastuzumab, either alone or in combination, inhibited proliferation of SK-BR-3 cells in vitro. At higher concentrations VAE induced apoptosis, which was not observed for Trastuzumab. Cells treated with Trastuzumab underwent a G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and cells treated with VAE a G2/M arrest. After application of the two drugs in combination both G0/G1 and G2/M arrest was observed. VEGF secretion of SK-BR-3 cells was significantly inhibited by sole treatment with Trastuzumab or VAE. Combined treatment of Trastuzumab and VAE at clinically relevant doses showed additive inhibitory effects on VEGF secretion. VAE did not interfere with cytostatic effects of Trastuzumab on SK-BR-3 cells in vitro. Our in vitro results suggest that no risk of safety by herb drug interactions has to be expected from the exposition of cancer cells to Trastuzumab and VAE simultaneously. In contrast, VAE and Trastuzumab seem to exhibit complementary anti-cancer effects in vitro.
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interaction of standardized mistletoe Viscum Album Extracts with chemotherapeutic drugs regarding cytostatic and cytotoxic effects in vitro
BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2014Co-Authors: Ulrike Weissenstein, Matthias Kunz, Konrad Urech, Stephan BaumgartnerAbstract:Given the importance of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to cancer patients, there is an increasing need to learn more about possible interactions between CAM and anticancer drugs. Mistletoe (Viscum Album L.) belongs to the medicinal herbs that are used as supportive care during chemotherapy. In the in vitro study presented here the effect of standardized mistletoe preparations on the cytostatic and cytotoxic activity of several common conventional chemotherapeutic drugs was investigated using different cancer cell lines. Human breast carcinoma cell lines HCC1937 and HCC1143 were treated with doxorubicin hydrochloride, pancreas adenocarcinoma cell line PA-TU-8902 with gemcitabine hydrochloride, prostate carcinoma cell line DU145 with docetaxel and mitoxantrone hydrochloride and lung carcinoma cell line NCI-H460 was treated with docetaxel and cisplatin. Each dose of the respective chemotherapeutic drug was combined with Viscum Album Extract (VAE) in clinically relevant concentrations and proliferation and apoptosis were measured. VAE did not inhibit chemotherapy induced cytostasis and cytotoxicity in any of our experimental settings. At higher concentrations VAE showed an additive inhibitory effect. Our in vitro results suggest that no risk of safety by herb drug interactions has to be expected from the exposition of cancer cells to chemotherapeutic drugs and VAE simultaneously.
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Evaluation of Preclinical Assays to Investigate an Anthroposophic Pharmaceutical Process Applied to Mistletoe (Viscum Album L.) Extracts
Hindawi Limited, 2014Co-Authors: Stephan Baumgartner, Matthias Kunz, Heidi Flückiger, Claudia Scherr, Konrad UrechAbstract:Extracts from European mistletoe (Viscum Album L.) developed in anthroposophic medicine are based on specific pharmaceutical procedures to enhance remedy efficacy. One such anthroposophic pharmaceutical process was evaluated regarding effects on cancer cell toxicity in vitro and on colchicine tumor formation in Lepidium sativum. Anthroposophically processed Viscum Album Extract (APVAE) was produced by mixing winter and summer mistletoe Extracts in the edge of a high-speed rotating disk and was compared with manually mixed Viscum Album Extract (VAE). The antiproliferative effect of VAE/APVAE was determined in five cell lines (NCI-H460, DU-145, HCC1143, MV3, and PA-TU-8902) by WST-1 assay in vitro; no difference was found between VAE and APVAE in any cell line tested (P>0.14). Incidence of colchicine tumor formation was assessed by measurement of the root/shoot-ratio of seedlings of Lepidium sativum treated with colchicine as well as VAE, APVAE, or water. Colchicine tumor formation decreased after application of VAE (−5.4% compared to water, P
