Anticancer research
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Anticancer research · Nov 2005
Randomized Controlled TrialPerioperative application of the Viscum album extract Isorel in digestive tract cancer patients.
It is assumed that perioperative immunomodulation of cancer patients can attenuate cellular and humoral deficiencies thus improving their overall health status. Mistletoe (Viscum album L.) anticancer drugs are likely candidates for such adjuvant therapy, because they do not have major adverse side-effects but have dual desirable activities; immune-modulating effects and relatively selective cytotoxicity for cancer cells. ⋯ The results of this study indicate that perioperative use of the mistletoe drug Isorel can improve immune competence and the overall health status of cancer patients undergoing surgery.
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Anticancer research · Nov 2005
Comparative StudyDifferent ways to induce apoptosis by fenretinide and all-trans-retinoic acid in human B lymphoma cells.
All-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) and its synthetic analog fenretinide (4HPR) are potent anticancer drugs. Only a few reports are available about the effects of retinoids on B lymphoma cells. In our study, non-Hodgkin lymphoma cells (HT58) were treated with ATRA and 4HPR. ⋯ However, z-VAD-fmk did not influence the DNA fragmentation in 4HPR-treated cells. Endonuclease G was released from the mitochondria during 4HPR treatment, which could be an inducer for caspase-independent DNA fragmentation. Our results suggest that natural (ATRA) and synthetic (4HPR) retinoids induce different apoptotic pathways in B lymphoma cells, which is particularly relevant for their potential use in leukemia treatment.