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- Shikonin Mixture Inhibits Growth of Lung Cancer
Shikonin Mixture Inhibits Growth of Lung Cancer
The clinical observation showed that shikonin mixture could inhibit the growth of lung cancer (LC) and improve the immune function of the body…
In my experience, cancer patients must try to evaluate their possible success from standard-of-care therapies as well as their evidence-based but non-conventional therapies as well.
There are so many examples of evidence-based integrative and non-conventional LC therapies. Shikonin, as an example, inhibits lung cancer growth while improving immune function.
I have to be honest. I underwent several years of conventional therapies for my incurable cancer myself. So I understand why patients think the way they do. Hope springs eternal, right?
For the LC patient who has been diagnosed with early stage LC it may make sense for you to undergo surgery and/or radiation. As the study linked and excerpted below states,
““The shikonin mixture was used for 19 cases of later-stage lung cancer who were not the candidates for operation, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.”
All I am saying is that conventional chemotherapy doesn’t have much of an effect on many lung cancers. I think your oncologist will agree with me on this. So your chemotherapy regimen may be enhanced by one or more evidence-based integrative therapies. Don’t take my word for it, read the studies. Which I am happy to send you if you ask.
I am a long-term survivor of an “incurable” cancer called multiple myeloma. I believe my evidence-based regimen of nutrition, supplementation, bone health, etc. is what has kept me in complete remission since 1999.
Have you been diagnosed with lung cancer? What stage? Scroll down the page, post a question or comment and I will reply to you ASAP.
Thanks,
David Emerson
- Cancer Survivor
- Cancer Coach
- Director PeopleBeatingCancer
Recommended Reading:
- Early Lung Cancer Therapies Reduce Cancer Deaths Significantly
- Early Lung Cancer, SBRT if Surgery is Not an Option
- The Cure for Lung Cancer May Be in Fish Oil
- Fish Oil Improves Response to Chemo, Improves OS for Lung Cancer Patients
Clinical trial on the effects of shikonin mixture on later stage lung cancer
“The shikonin mixture was used for 19 cases of later-stage lung cancer who were not the candidates for operation, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The clinical observation showed that shikonin mixture could inhibit the growth of lung cancer and improve the immune function of the body…
After treatment the life quality of patients were greatly improved. The patients got better appetite and their body weights were increased. They could manage themselves in daily life…
The authors also observed that shikonin mixture could relieve such symptoms as cough, bloody sputum and chest pain caused by lung cancer. The levels of cells and interleukin-2 were increased (P less than 0.001). It had no harmful effects on peripheral blood picture, heart, kidney and liver. Shikonin mixture is safe and effective for later-stage cancer…”
Shikonin induces apoptosis of lung cancer cells via activation of FOXO3a/EGR1/SIRT1 signaling antagonized by p300.
“Shikonin derivatives exert powerful cytotoxic effects including induction of apoptosis. Here, we demonstrate the cytotoxic efficacy of shikonin in vivo in xenograft models, which did not affect body weight as well as its reduction of cell viability in vitro using several non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines…
These results suggest that shikonin induces apoptosis in some lung cancer cells via activation of FOXO3a/EGR1/SIRT1 signaling, and that AKT and p300 negatively regulate this process via Bim up regulation….”
Shikonin inhibits the Warburg effect, cell proliferation, invasion and migration by downregulating PFKFB2 expression in lung cancer
“Lung cancer is one of the most lethal diseases and therefore poses a significant threat to human health. The Warburg effect, which is the observation that cancer cells predominately produce energy through glycolysis, even under aerobic conditions, is a hallmark of cancer.
6‑phosphofructo‑2‑kinase/fructose‑2,6‑biphosphatase 2 (PFKFB) is an important regulator of glycolysis. Shikonin is a Traditional Chinese herbal medicine, which has been reported to exert antitumor effects. The present study aimed to investigate the anticancer activity of shikonin in lung cancer.
Cell Counting Kit‑8 (CCK‑8) and colony formation assays were used to analyze proliferation in A549 and H446 cells. Wound healing and Transwell assays were used to measure migration and invasion in A549 and H446 cells. Cell apoptosis was analyzed using flow cytometry. Lactate levels, glucose uptake and cellular ATP levels were measured using their corresponding commercial kits. Western blotting was performed to analyze the protein expression levels of key enzymes involved in aerobic glucose metabolism. Reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR was used to analyze the mRNA expression levels of PFKFB2.
The results of the present study revealed that PFKFB2 expression levels were significantly upregulated in NSCLC tissues. Shikonin treatment decreased the proliferation, migration, invasion, glucose uptake, lactate levels, ATP levels and PFKFB2 expression levels and increased apoptosis in lung cancer cells in a dose‑dependent manner.
The overexpression of PFKFB2 increased the proliferation, migration, glucose uptake, lactate levels and ATP levels in lung cancer cells, while the knockdown of PFKFB2 expression exerted the opposite effects. Moreover, there were no significant differences in lung cancer cell migration, apoptosis, glucose uptake, lactate levels and ATP levels between cells with knocked down PFKFB2 expression or treated with shikonin and the knockdown of PFKFB2 in cells treated with shikonin. In conclusion, the results of the present study revealed that shikonin inhibited the Warburg effect and exerted antitumor activity in lung cancer cells, which was associated with the downregulation of PFKFB2 expression.