Milk thistle finally being looked at

[Tom]

I am incouraged that more and more of these "natural" compounds are being prepared for clinical trials. It seems that even the hardcore allopaths are sitting up and taking notice. Keep on screaming to your oncs about what we read and try for our loved ones.

http://www.oncolink.com/resources/ar...th=06&id=13271

Milk thistle compound inhibits experimental lung cancer growth
Martha Kerr
Reuters Health
Posting Date: June 27, 2006



Last Updated: 2006-06-27 15:46:38 -0400 (Reuters Health)

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Silibinin, a flavanone derived from milk thistle (Silybum marianum) shows anti-tumor activity in lung cancer in mice, investigators at the University of Colorado, Denver, report in the June 21st issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Lead investigator Dr. Rana P. Singh told Reuters Health, "We have been studying milk thistle components, silymarin and silibinin, to examine their efficacy and mechanisms against different epithelial cancers for over a decade. Recently, we reported that oral silibinin inhibits human lung carcinoma A549 tumor xenograft growth in athymic nude mice...and forms a novel chemo-combination with doxorubicin."

Dr. Singh's team injected nude mice with urethane, a carcinogen, to induce lung cancer. The animals then received diets containing different doses of silibinin, ranging from 0% to 1%.

"We obtained pure silibinin from Sigma Chemical Co., and silibinin diets were commercially prepared at room temperature and air dried. We did not use milk thistle dietary supplements which are available for human consumption," Dr. Singh said.

Mice fed 1% silibinin had fewer large lung tumors than control mice -- 2 tumors per animal versus 27 tumors/mouse in controls.

The researchers conducted immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis to determine the presence of angiogenesis and enzyme activity indicating apoptosis, inflammation and proliferation.

They found that silibinin-fed mice had fewer tumors staining positive for cell proliferation markers than control animals. Also, tumor microvessel density was reduced 89% with silibinin (6 microvessels versus 56 microvessels in a 400x field).

Vascular endothelial growth factor expression was inhibited by the milk thistle compound. Also inhibited were inducible nitric oxide and cyclooxygenase-2 enzyme activity, both of which increase VEGF expression.

Dr. Singh added, "We are still pursuing studies of biomarkers, and the mechanisms and therapeutic effect of silibinin in animal models of lung cancer. We expect soon after that clinical trials with silibinin in lung cancer patients will be planned."

Phase I/II trials of silibinin are already underway for the treatment of prostate cancer.

J Natl Cancer Inst 2006;98:846-855.