more on PC-SPES

[Guest guest]

this abstract does not say that PC-SPES has estrogenic properties, but

rather that it downregulates androgen receptors. these are not the same

thing, though the end results may be similar. However it seems safer to

decrease the body's response to testosterone (DHT actually??) than it

would be to increase circulating estrogen. There is interesting info

about hormones and cancer at www.lef.org.

 

The last line about changing multiple mechanisms at once, none of which

alone would be sufficient by itself, certainly points to a shift in cancer

research. Instead of slamming a single mechanism, they are exploring a

gentler multi front attack. Seems like this chinese idea is already

beginning to infect biochemically oriented research.

 

Urology 2001 Aug;58(2 Suppl 1):28-35; discussion 38

 

In vitro mechanism of PC SPES.

Chenn S.

Brander Cancer Research Institute, New York Medical College, Hawthorne,

New York, USA. Sophie_chen

PC SPES (BotanicLab, Brea, California) an herbal supplement for patients

with prostate cancer, is composed of 7 highly concentrated Chinese herbs

and 1 US herb. It was developed in seeking positive attributes of Chinese

and Western medicine for cancer treatment. Chemical standardization of

this composition showed that baicalin is the most abundant active compound.

Several reports on phase 2 clinical studies of PC SPES suggest that it is

a well-tolerated active treatment for androgen-independent prostate cancer.

In this report, data obtained from various laboratory experiments will be

presented to elucidate the in vitro mechanism. Profound biologic effects

of PC SPES on prostate cancer cells were observed on both

androgen-dependent (LNCap) and androgen-independent (DU-145) cell lines.

These effects include the following: (1) induction of cell apoptosis and

cell cycle modulation; (2) inhibition of cell proliferation; (3)

downregulation of bcl-2, bcl-6, proliferating cell nuclear antigen, and

prostate-specific antigen proteins; (4) downregulation of androgen

receptor (AR) (bold added-TL); and (5) upregulation of p53, bax, and p21

proteins. Concurrent animal studies using 2 different models, Copenhagen

rats and nude mice, confirmed a dose-dependent suppressive effect of PC

SPES on tumor volumes and tumor progression. Our results show that the

cytotoxic and cytostatic properties of PC SPES are not entirely dependent

on the presence of AR. The antitumor mechanism of PC SPES is complex. It

involves multiple metabolic pathways, such that the whole extract acts on

redundant mechanisms, which otherwise will permit cell survival if a

single-target agent is used (bold added-TL).

 

 

Chinese Herbs

 

 

" Great spirits have always been violently opposed by mediocre minds " --

Albert Einstein