HIV/AIDS docs seem to have a consistently more enlightened grasp of the issues of drug interactions as well as issues around the use of non-conventional therapies. HAART interruption remains controversial, with most study data to date suggesting that interruption results in inferior long term efficacy on CD4 and viral load maintenance although it may reduce side effect problems. One question is whether HAART interruption with replacemnemt by herbal strategies etc is the same as HAAART interruption alone. Hmm. This survey begins to address, but does not really get to that point.

Complementary and alternative medicine use decreases adherence to HAART in HIV-positive women
Owen-Smith A, Diclemente R, Wingood G. AIDS Care. 2007 May;19(5):589-93

The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to treat chronic illnesses, especially HIV, is becoming increasingly widespread. Given this popularity, it is critical to understand how HIV-positive individuals use CAM and, more specifically, whether CAM use impacts their adherence to prescribed antiretroviral regimens (HAART). The present study examined the relationship between CAM use and HAART adherence among HIV+ women. Data were analysed from 366 HIV-positive, mostly African-American women, aged 18-50 years in Alabama and Georgia who were enrolled in an intervention to reduce high-risk sexual behaviour. At enrolment data were collected describing use of CAM and HAART use. Women were classified as CAM users if they reported taking herbal/natural immunity boosters (Chinese herbs, mushrooms, garlic, ginseng or algae) or multivitamins, or reported using religious/psychic health or bodywork to treat HIV. Women were classified as non-adherent if they reported missing any doses of their HAART medication in the 30 days preceding baseline assessment. Logistic regressions models, adjusted for potential confounders, were used to investigate the relationship between CAM use and HAART adherence. Women using CAM (immunity boosters or vitamins), relative to non-CAM users, were 1.69 times more likely to report missing HAART doses in the last 30 days (CI: 1.02-2.80; P=.041) even after adjusting for age, education, race, religion and income. The findings provide preliminary evidence that patients using CAM may be doing so as an alternative to traditional medicine as opposed to complementing prescribed HARRT treatment regimens. The inconsistent use of HAART is problematic given its association with drug resistance. Therefore, health care providers and patients should have explicit dialogues about how to effectively integrate CAM practices into traditional treatment regimens so that the safety and health of HIV-positive patients is not compromised.

PMID: 17505918 [PubMed - in process]

Another of those rare studies on western/southwestern plants: this time aqueous extracts too, showing anticancer activity. The authors are from New Mexico Tech in Socorro NM (in the Biochemical and Biomedical research Lab of the Department of Chemistry and Biology). More please!

Effects of crude aqueous medicinal plant extracts on growth and invasion of breast cancer cells
van Slambrouck S, Daniels AL et al Oncol Rep. 2007 Jun;17(6):1487-92

Plants used in folklore medicine continue to be an important source of discovery and development of novel therapeutic agents. In the present study, we determined the effects of crude aqueous extracts of a panel of medicinal plants on the growth and invasion of cancer cells. Our results showed that extracts of L. tridentata (Creosote Bush) and J. communis L. (Juniper Berry) significantly decreased the growth of MCF-7/AZ breast cancer cells. The latter as well as A. californica (Yerba Mansa) inhibited invasion into the collagen type I gel layer. Furthermore, the phosphorylation levels of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) decreased when the cells were exposed to aqueous extracts of L. tridentata, J. communis L. and A. californica. This study provides original scientific data on the anticancer activity of selected aqueous medicinal plant extracts used in traditional medicine.

PMID: 17487409 [PubMed - in process]

Add this to the pile of BC and breast cancer studies. More needed.

Gene expression analysis of the mechanisms whereby black cohosh inhibits human breast cancer cell growth. Einbond LS, Su T, et al. Anticancer Res. 2007 Mar-Apr;27(2):697-712

BACKGROUND: Previous studies indicate that specific extracts and the pure triterpene glycoside actein obtained from black cohosh inhibit growth of human breast cancer cells. Our aim is to identify alterations in gene expression induced by treatment with a methanolic extract (MeOH) of black cohosh. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We treated MDA-MB-453 human breast cancer cells with the MeOH extract at 40 microg/ml and collected RNA at 6 and 24 h; we confirmed the microarray results with real-time RT-PCR for 18 genes. RESULTS: At 6 h after treatment there was significant increase in expression of ER stress (GRP78), apoptotic (GDF15), lipid biosynthetic (INSIG1 and HSD17B7) and Phase 1 (CYP1A1) genes and, at 24 h, decrease in expression of cell cycle (HELLS and PLK4) genes. CONCLUSION: Since the MeOH extract activated genes that enhance apoptosis and repressed cell cycle genes, it may be useful in the prevention and therapy of breast cancer.

Green tea polyphenols could be added to Rx (eg ginkgo, Urtica seed, Cordyceps) for antidoting chemo induced nephrotoxicity - according to this rodent study.

Reduction of ciclosporin and tacrolimus nephrotoxicity by plant polyphenols
Zhong Z, Connor HD, Li X, Mason RP, Forman DT, Lemasters JJ, Thurman RG.J Pharm Pharmacol. 2006 Nov;58(11):1533-43.

The immunosuppressants ciclosporin (cyclosporin A, CsA) and tacrolimus can cause severe nephrotoxicity. Since CsA increases free radical formation, this study investigated whether an extract from Camellia sinensis, which contains several polyphenolic free radical scavengers, could prevent nephrotoxicity caused by CsA and tacrolimus. Rats were fed powdered diet containing polyphenolic extract (0-0.1%) starting 3 days before CsA or tacrolimus. Free radicals were trapped with alpha-(4-pyridyl-1-oxide)-N-tert-butylnitrone (POBN) and measured using an electron spin resonance spectrometer. Both CsA and tacrolimus decreased glomerular filtration rates (GFR) and caused tubular atrophy, vacuolization and calcification and arteriolar hyalinosis, effects that were blunted by treatment with dietary polyphenols. Moreover, CsA and tacrolimus increased POBN/radical adducts in urine nearly 3.5 fold. Hydroxyl radicals attack dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) to produce a methyl radical fragment. Administration of CsA or tacrolimus with (12)C-DMSO produced a 6-line spectrum, while CsA or tacrolimus given with (13)C-DMSO produced a 12-line ESR spectrum, confirming formation of hydroxyl radicals. 4-Hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), a product of lipid peroxidation, accumulated in proximal and distal tubules after CsA or tacrolimus treatment. ESR changes and 4-HNE formation were largely blocked by polyphenols. Taken together, these results demonstrate that both CsA and tacrolimus stimulate free radical production in the kidney, most likely in tubular cells, and that polyphenols minimize nephrotoxicity by scavenging free radicals.

PMID: 17132217 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

In another revolting display of self-congratulatory smugness at industry expense, Mark Blumenthal’s PR machine organized an ABC “Celebration” to siphon yet more money from the suckers industry attendees during the last “Natural Products Expo” held at Disneyland , Anaheim, CA as reported in the latest Issue (74) of HerbalGram magazine.

The latest ABC wheeze is a “Herbal Legacy” fundraising campaign, which includes a quote “quasi endowment fund” to ensure “a safety net for ABCs long term future” (Blumenthal’s pension?), and a “Green Development and Beautification Fund” to pay for ecological “improvements” to the ABC premises. The attendees of this glorious celebratory event apparently included “275 leaders from across the herbal and natural products community” (wot and i was’nt invited?) who coughed up $60,000.00 for Blumenthal these worthy causes.
Meanwhile, UK HERBLOG readers will be delighted to hear that ABC has honored their arch nemesis Eddie Ernst with a research grant award, presumably for outstanding services to herbal medicine. Ever since Varro Tyler shuffled off poor old Blumenthal has been looking for a science guru/father figure who can say what a good boy he is, and maybe this is the beginning of a beautiful new relationship - hopefully we’ll get over the brown nosing stage soon ….watch this space.
Take HerbalGram 74 with some antiemetics, it will make you want to throw up. Make sure the antiemetics are evidence based though.

If anyone is still interested in the MLM zeolite scam perpetrated by Waiora and their volcanic wonder supplement scam called NCD, take note that Lifelink Pharmaceuticals Inc. who hold Dr Harvey Kauffman’s patent on the Zeolite product, is currently suing Waiora (and its phony scientist and chief plagiarist Dietsch) for patent infringement. The link to the case is here. What is going on is not clear at this stage, but we look forward to seeing the brown stuff fly before long….note that downline distributors are also being sued in the case. Perhaps Kauffman is irked about all the money they are making by phony cancer cure claims…meanwhile the famous “about to be published” case of all those terminal cancer patients miraculously being cured by zeolite (NCD) referred to in much of the Waiora downliner literature has yet to surface. Don’t hold your breath.

There is clearly hope for adult US herb consumers. According to this Mayo group analysis of the NIH survey data of 2002, the top ten herbs used by consumers were not employed according to so called “evidence based indications” that these authors had extracted from the ridiculous Natural Standards Database. Since “evidence based herbal medicine” has nothing to do with how herbs are actually used in traditional herbal medicine, it suggests, not for the first time, that herb consumers are more sophisticated than the medical professionals trying to understand what is going on …

Use of herbs among adults based on evidence-based indications: findings from the national health interview survey. Bardia A, Nisly NL, Zimmerman MB, Gryzlak BM, Wallace RB: Mayo Clin Proc. 2007 May;82(5):561-6

OBJECTIVE: To examine the extent to which US adults use herbs (herbal supplements) in accordance with evidence-based indications. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The Alternative Health supplement of the 2002 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) is part of an annual, nationally representative survey of US adults. It contains data on adults’ use of the 10 herbs most commonly taken to treat a specific health condition in the past year (January 1 to December 31, 2002). The Natural Standard database was used to formulate evidence-based standards for herb use. These standards were applied to the NHIS data to identify groups of people who used herbs appropriately and inappropriately, using a multivariable logistic regression model. RESULTS: Of the 30,617 adults surveyed, 5787 (18.9%) consumed herbs in the past 12 months; of those, 3315 (57.3%) used herbs to treat a specific health condition. Among people who used only 1 herb (except echinacea and ginseng), approximately one third used it consonant with evidence-based indications. Women and people with a college education were more likely to use herbs (with the exception of echinacea) concordant with scientific evidence. Adults younger than 60 years and black adults were significantly less likely to use herbs (with the exception of echinacea) based on evidentiary referents than their counterparts. However, for echinacea users, no significant differences were detected. CONCLUSION: Roughly two thirds of adults using commonly consumed herbs (except echinacea) did not do so in accordance with evidence-based indications. Health care professionals should take a proactive role, and public health policies should disseminate evidence-based information regarding consumption of herbal products.

PMID: 17493422 [PubMed - in process]

Why are we not surprised? Amgen and Johnson & Johnson, manufacturers of recombinant erythropoeitin drugs Aranesp, Epogen and Procrit which had combined sales of 10 billion dollars in 2006, have been exposed by the NYT as paying hundreds of millions to doctors, especially to cancer centers who prescribe the drugs all the time for chemotherapy induced anemia. Read the NYT story here. Amounts are not detailed, although one oncology practice with 6 physicians in the Pacific Northwest received $2.7 million from Amgen for prescribing $9 million dollars worth of its drugs last year. At the same time there are new concerns that these drugs are potentially more dangerous than previously thought, and the FDA is looking into whether they are overused.

Meanwhile, cancer patients mostly are aware that these “legal” kick backs are actually widespread, and chemotherapy drugs used by oncologists are one of the biggest sources of income for cancer centers, along with imaging. In other words, there is every financial incentive for mainstream oncology to prescribe as much toxic chemotherapy and carcinogenic imaging/scanning as possible, because it is quite simply their major income stream.

Increasing public popularity, increasing numbers of practitioners, increasing professionalization and recognition by the mainstream - the tide is turning in favor of so called “CAM” (a redundant term) or so it would seem. But the vision, the radical content, the big picture is becoming more obscured if anything rather than clarified. We are at a critical time, for many reasons. Time is running out for the planet, and for the species. Non-conventional healthcare can no longer exist in a self satisfied self contained mythological state of CAM - the patient is sick. In the rush towards regulation, recognition and professionalisation the lack of attention to fundamentals threatens to destroy the soul and the essence of healing, reducing our work to a reductionist appendage of a bankrupt system that is the cause of the problem. With the recent passing of Dr “Bill” Mitchell, we are reminded of how few are the thinkers in our movement who express its core principles and push the horizons forward.
Acupuncturist Lonny Jarret, interviewed (intelligently) by Gregg St Clair in the current issue of Acupuncture Today is one of these few. He sees the big picture and has a clear grasp of how the role of consciousness is critical in the transformation process called healing, not simply at the level of understanding identity between the individual and the planetary, but by pinpointing the actual transformation of the consciousness of the practitioner as they key component of a transcendental medical practice that is demanded by the challenge of our times, from theory to the bedside. Read this very cool interview “The Cutting Edge”

A great quote by Lonny Jarrett from this interview:

One of the main qualifications that a practitioner should have to posses to actually be considered a “healer” would be the renunciation of the right to take any more time to heal based on the discovery of, identification with, and absolute conviction in that best part of him or herself that doesn’t need healing because nothing ever happened there. And this is the only place that will afford the absolute perspective so desperately needed to carry the medicine forward out of the flat land, egalitarian value system it now seems mired in. It’s not what a practitioner knows; it’s who he or she is, as evidenced by the degree of integrity actually manifested as living action, that matters most in healing.