TY - JOUR
T1 - Phytoradiotherapy to enhance cancer treatment outcomes with cannabidiol, bitter melon juice, and plant hemoglobin
AU - Alfonzetti, Tyler
AU - Moreau, Michele
AU - Yasmin-Karim, Sayeda
AU - Ngwa, Wilfred
AU - Avery, Stephen
AU - Goia, Denisa
N1 - Funding Information:
Research reported in this publication was partially supported by the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R01CA239042. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the views of the National Institutes of Health. Acknowledgments
Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2023 Alfonzetti, Moreau, Yasmin-Karim, Ngwa, Avery and Goia.
PY - 2023/1/26
Y1 - 2023/1/26
N2 - Despite technological advances in radiation therapy for cancer treatment, many patient populations still experience mediocre survival percentages, local control, and quality of life. Additionally, much of the world lacks access to expensive, modern treatment options. The need for innovative, cost-effective solutions that can improve patient treatment outcomes is essential. Phytomedicines have been shown to induce apoptotic tumor cell death, diminish tumor progression, reduce cancer incidence, alleviate harmful hypoxic conditions, and more. While an ample amount of research is available that characterizes many phytomedicines as having anti-cancer properties that increase tumor cell killing/control and mitigate the harmful side effects of radiation damage, little work has been done to investigate the synergistic effect of phytoradiotherapy: combining radiation treatment with phytomedicines. In this study, a protocol for testing the radiosensitizing effects of phytomedicines was validated and used to investigate the well-known plant based medicine cannabidiol (CBD) and the lesser-known medicinal fruit Bitter Melon. Additionally, based on its high concentration of plant hemoglobin which has been shown to abate hypoxia, the African-indigenous Justicia plant was tested in pancreatic adenocarcinoma mouse models. The studies reveal that these phytomedicines can effectively enhance tumor cell killing, minimize tumor growth, and prolong mice survival. There is certainly the need for additional research in this regard, however, phytoradiotherapy: the use of phytomedicines to enhance radiation therapy treatment outcomes, continues to show potential as a promising, innovative way to improve cancer care.
AB - Despite technological advances in radiation therapy for cancer treatment, many patient populations still experience mediocre survival percentages, local control, and quality of life. Additionally, much of the world lacks access to expensive, modern treatment options. The need for innovative, cost-effective solutions that can improve patient treatment outcomes is essential. Phytomedicines have been shown to induce apoptotic tumor cell death, diminish tumor progression, reduce cancer incidence, alleviate harmful hypoxic conditions, and more. While an ample amount of research is available that characterizes many phytomedicines as having anti-cancer properties that increase tumor cell killing/control and mitigate the harmful side effects of radiation damage, little work has been done to investigate the synergistic effect of phytoradiotherapy: combining radiation treatment with phytomedicines. In this study, a protocol for testing the radiosensitizing effects of phytomedicines was validated and used to investigate the well-known plant based medicine cannabidiol (CBD) and the lesser-known medicinal fruit Bitter Melon. Additionally, based on its high concentration of plant hemoglobin which has been shown to abate hypoxia, the African-indigenous Justicia plant was tested in pancreatic adenocarcinoma mouse models. The studies reveal that these phytomedicines can effectively enhance tumor cell killing, minimize tumor growth, and prolong mice survival. There is certainly the need for additional research in this regard, however, phytoradiotherapy: the use of phytomedicines to enhance radiation therapy treatment outcomes, continues to show potential as a promising, innovative way to improve cancer care.
KW - anemia
KW - bitter melon juice (BMJ)
KW - cannabidiol (CBD)
KW - pancreatic adenocarcinoma
KW - phytomedicines
KW - phytoradiotherapy
KW - plant hemoglobin
KW - radiotherapy
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U2 - 10.3389/fonc.2022.1085686
DO - 10.3389/fonc.2022.1085686
M3 - Article
C2 - 36776362
AN - SCOPUS:85147672165
SN - 2234-943X
VL - 12
JO - Frontiers in Oncology
JF - Frontiers in Oncology
M1 - 1085686
ER -