Artemisinin

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Other names : Wormwood extract, artemisinin, qinghaosu (Chinese: 青蒿素)
Artemisinin is isolated from the plant Artemisia Annua, sweet wormwood, an herb employed in Chinese traditional medicine. A precursor compound can be produced using genetically engineered yeast.

Special Precautions of Artemisinin

Artemisinins are generally well tolerated at the doses used to treat malaria. The side effects from the artemisinin class of medications are similar to the symptoms of malaria: nausea, vomiting, anorexia, and dizziness. Mild blood abnormalities have also been noted. A rare but serious adverse effect is allergic reaction. One case of significant liver inflammation has been reported in association with prolonged use of a relatively high-dose of artemisinin for an unclear reason (the patient did not have malaria). The drugs used in combination therapies can contribute to the adverse effects experienced by those undergoing treatment. Adverse effects in patients with acute P. falciparum malaria treated with artemisinin derivatives tend to be higher.

The benefits of Artemisinin are

Artemisia annua had been used by the Chinese for thousands of years for treating malaria before it was lost. It was rediscovered in 1970 and has slowly returned to clinical use, especially for drug resistant falciparum malaria, but also for treatment of most cancers.

Artemisinin contains two oxygen atoms hooked together that break down in the presence of iron, by creating very reactive free radicals that kill malaria parasites and cancer cells. Both cancer cells and malaria parasites sequester iron, accumulating as much as 1000 times what normal cells store. Giving artemisinin to people with malaria or cancer results in destruction of these abnormal cells and leaves normal cells unaffected. Artemisinin is a cancer bomb!

Generally, chemotherapy is toxic to both cancer cells and normal cells. In the case of artemisinin this is not true; only the cancer cells are damaged. In more than 4000 case studies, no significant toxicity from artemisinin has been found, which makes it far different than conventional chemotherapy.

Results from clinical trials are conspicuously absent. However, there a numerous individual case reports suggesting that artemisinin works in vitro (in test tubes) and in both animals and human beings with far advanced cancer. I would suggest reviewing the work of Christina L. White's two part series on Cancer Smart Bomb at http://www.mwt.net/~drbrewer/canart1.htm

There are three forms of artemisinin: artemisinin, artesunate, and artemether. All are absorbed well after oral intake and cross the blood brain barrier. They are best absorbed on an empty stomach. The intestine builds up resistance to absorbing, so it is wise to only take the drug for a few days and then stopping for a few days as this resistance is reversible.

Artemisinin and its derivatives offer the possibility of using a non-toxic form of chemotherapy that is inexpensive and readily available. Because of its excellent safety profile, it should be a consideration for cancer treatment when conventional treatments have failed or when people refuse conventional therapies.

Researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) recently discovered the potential of using the anti-malarial drug artemisinin in combination with aminolevulinic acid (ALA) as a treatment for cancer. Specifically, they found that the anti-cancer properties of artemisinin are enhanced by the addition of ALA, a photosensitizer that can generate cancer cell-killing free radicals on exposure to light.

References