Potential cancer remedy found in common herb plant: Colorectal cancer could potentially be treated with a common herb plant.
In a remarkable development, scientists have discovered a potential game-changer for colorectal cancer treatment. Researchers at the University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, and their collaborators from the University of Jordan, have found that a desert plant, Artemisia herba-alba (also known as white wormwood), can selectively kill cancer cells while leaving healthy cells untouched.
This humble, silver-green shrub, traditionally used in medicine for centuries, demonstrates unique anticancer properties against colorectal cancer cells, offering hope to millions worldwide. Unlike conventional chemotherapy, which targets both cancerous and healthy cells indiscriminately, Artemisia's compounds exhibit targeted specificity, zeroing in on cancer cells, and ultimately inducing cancer cell death.
The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Food Science and Nutrition, highlights the herb's potential as a new weapon to combat one of the world's deadliest cancers. Across the globe, colorectal cancer took the lives of approximately one million people in 2020, making it the second deadliest form of cancer worldwide.
While it primarily affects older populations, concerning trend show increasing rates among younger individuals. The insidious nature of colorectal cancer adds to the alarm, as it often presents no symptoms in its early stages, giving the disease time to spread undetected until it reaches advanced stages.
Curative options have long relied on surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy; these approaches have improved survival rates, but they come with significant drawbacks. Chemotherapy, in particular, often inflicts severe immunosuppression, debilitating fatigue, digestive system damage, nerve damage, and organ toxicity. Cancer's ability to develop resistance to chemotherapy drugs over time only exacerbates the situation, making effective treatments even more elusive.
Artemisia herba-alba, however, might offer a solution to these challenges. Its extraordinary biochemical profile comprises flavonoids, phenolic compounds, alkaloids, terpenoids, and essential oils, each associated with specific medicinal properties. Studies have already revealed over 200 distinct compounds within this plant species, yet cancer-fighting potential remained largely unexplored until recently.
The groundbreaking research, led by Dr. Lara Bou Malhab and conducted in collaboration with the University of Jordan, has garnered excitement within the oncology community. The researchers tested Artemisia herba-alba extract against eight different colorectal cancer cell lines and found it effective in actively killing cancer cells across all tested lines, showcasing its remarkable selectivity.
What makes Artemisia herba-alba so effective is its ability to simultaneously disrupt multiple cancer survival mechanisms. By launching a coordinated attack on cancer cells from various angles, it thwarts the cancer cells' survival mechanisms and eventually leads to their death.
For those living with colorectal cancer or anyone at risk, this finds offers precious hope: potentially less toxic treatments that could lead to improved survival rates without the heavy burden of side effects faced by many undergoing conventional treatments.
REFERENCES:- Food Science and Nutrition - Research on Artemisia herba-alba's anticancer properties- University of Sharjah - Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences Studies- World Health Organization - Global Cancer Statistics 2020- Journal of Ethnopharmacology - Traditional uses of Artemisia species- Cancer Research Institute - Colorectal Cancer Treatment Updates- American Cancer Society - Colorectal Cancer Facts & Figures- Nature Reviews Cancer - Natural Products in Cancer Therapy- Frontiers in Pharmacology - Phytochemical Analysis of Medicinal Plants- Molecular Cancer Therapeutics - Plant-derived Anticancer Agents- Journal of Medicinal Chemistry - PI3K/AKT/mTOR Pathway in Cancer
The discovery of Artemisia herba-alba's unique anticancer properties, particularly against colorectal cancer cells, offers hope to millions worldwide who are affected by this medical-condition, as it presents a possible solution to the challenges encountered in conventional cancer treatments like chemotherapy. This humble desert plant, with its remarkable selectivity in killing cancer cells while leaving healthy cells untouched, could potentially revolutionize health-and-wellness for colorectal cancer patients, offering less toxic treatments with improved survival rates and fewer side effects.
