Milk thistle is a botanical supplement well recognized for its liver healing properties. In herbal circles it is known as the "trophorestorative" for the liver, the number one herb to choose when addressing ailments that affect this particular organ.
Milk thistle continues to be used as a primary alternative treatment for conditions such as Hepatitis C, cirrhosis of the liver, alcholic liver disease, mononucleosis, HIV, and many more. The most active and recognized compounds in milk thistle are silymarin and silibinin. Both compounds are currently at the center of cancer research around the world.
Results from a recent animal study on lung cancer were published in the June issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Though it was a preliminary animal based study, the results were so promising that larger trials, including clinical are slated for completion in the next few years.
In the study mice were exposed to chemicals known to induce large lung cell tumors. The mice in the treatment group were given various amounts of silibinin, an isolated compound from milk thistle. When comparing mice treated with silibinin to those without treatment, the rate of large lung cell tumors was significantly different.
In those mice receiving silibinin, less lung cell tumors were reported. The apparent mechanism of silibinin is blockage of tumor angiogenesis, or blood vessel growth. For a tumor to grow and invade surrounding structures it must create a new blood supply.
Many of the current cancer fighting drugs being researched today focus on blockage of this process, angiogenesis, to stop the tumor from growing. Blockage of angiogenesis is also one of the first steps in halting metastasis, or tumor spread, to other sites in the body.
Many tumors are not considered deadly until they have spread to other parts of the body. Preventing metastasis, as well as killing cells that may have spread to other areas, is one key objective to chemotherapy.
The area of cancer research is booming today, with more and more medicinal plants in the spotlight. This study marks a successful finding in the use of milk thistle and its components as a strong anti-cancer herb.
The authors state that larger animal based studies are already underway, and clinical trials are expected to follow after such promising results as those published this month.
Posted by Dr. Christina Gutierrez on July 13, 2006 11:25 PM
