Mistletoe: From Basic Research to Clinical Outcomes
The importance of integrative medicine in oncological care is increasing in accordance with growth of its evidence base. In central Europe, white-berried mistletoe (Viscum album) preparations not only are among the most common types of treatments used in integrative medicine but also have been among of the most commonly prescribed cancer treatments in Germany per se in 2010.
By 2017, mistletoe preparations will have been used in the treatment of cancer patients for 100 years. The first recorded use in oncology was by the Dutch physician Ita Wegman who used a mistletoe extraction for the treatment of a breast cancer patient following a recommendation by Rudolf Steiner.
The PubMed database alone lists more than 1,200 citations for “mistletoe,” with approximately 50 new entries each year. There are a multitude of laboratory-based studies demonstrating immune stimulation, cytotoxicity, proapoptotic effects, antiangiogenesis, and DNA stabilisation; animal experiments have found tumor-reducing effects. Recent observations of a potent anti-inflammatory effect of Viscum album via selective inhibition of COX-2 protein expression provide a further rationale for an antitumor role of mistletoe in view of the close relationship between cancer and inflammation. More recent research focuses on new mistletoe extracts that contain lipophilic components, that is, triterpenes, shown to have strong cytotoxic effects in mouse models.
Recent years have seen growth in the number and quality of clinical research studies on mistletoe therapy reporting improved patient outcomes, including studies of its coadministration alongside chemotherapy to reduce adverse effects and to improve quality of life in breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and lung cancer patients. Its clinical efficacy regarding tumor control and survival has been contested; other systematic reviews have been more positive, particularly with regard to health-related quality of life outcomes. A 2013 randomised-controlled trial reported an increase in median survival time for patients with pancreatic cancer. Further similar well-designed clinical trials on other cancer types are warranted.
Original publication: Matthias Kröz, Gunver Sophia Kienle, Gene Feder, Srini Kaveri, and Steven Rosenzweig, “Mistletoe: From Basic Research to Clinical Outcomes in Cancer and Other Indications,” Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, vol. 2014, Article ID 987527, 2 pages, 2014. doi:10.1155/2014/987527
Read the full article: http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2014/987527/
All news in this category
Waldorf education in Switzerland
In Switzerland 4.2 percent or 38.231 students attend private schools for their compulsory schooling (grades 1-9). In 2013-14 there were 28 Waldorf /... [more]
Waldorf education in Spain
At an educational level Spain is going through a special situation. Over the last four years Spain had a government which imposed a new educational... [more]
Waldorf education in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland
The Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship (SWSF) was founded 1953 with 7 members: Elmfield (Stourbridge), Michael Hall (Forest Row), Michael House... [more]
A look toward Agri-Culture of the Future
Demeter International Members’ Assembly held in Finland adopts mission paper. [more]
The deeper causes of migration
Management consultant Udo Herrmannstorfer argues that the causes of the refugee flows are not only connected with the life-threatening situations in... [more]
The challenge of Waldorf
Being a Waldorf teacher is a challenge which means that Waldorf education in China has found it difficult to retain teachers. Two courses run by... [more]
Selling out education: the mass academisation of England’s schools
Plans of the British government to force schools out of local authority control to become independent academies have proved controversial. It could... [more]
When friends fall out: German organic pioneers fight over Alnatura brand rights
The founders of the dm pharmacy chain and the organic business Alnatura are facing one another across court in a dispute about brand rights. But what... [more]
Waldorf education in Slovenia
Waldorf education in Slovenia has now a tradition of 24 years and is very well accepted in society, has a good reputation, good working conditions... [more]
'The history of the world is the judgement of the world'
The international Waldorf movement, with its Middle European roots and traditions, has spread to every culture and religion in the world. What is an... [more]
Bund der Freien Waldorfschulen e.V.