Study: Ancient Chinese Therapy May Be Useful for Breast Cancer

Researchers at the University of Washington have found a potential treatment for breast cancer in ancient Chinese medicine.

By using the chemical properties of a derivative of wormwood called artemisinin, researchers have been able to target breast cancer cells with positive results, according to the study published in the journal Life Sciences. Artemisinin was able to kill virtually all human breast cancer cells exposed to it within 16 hours, said the researchers.

"Not only does it appear to be effective, but it's very selective," said Henry Lai, co-author of the study. "It's highly toxic to the cancer cells, but has a marginal impact on normal breast cells."

Artemisinin was extracted from the plant Artemesia annua L., more commonly known as wormwood, by the Chinese thousands of years ago to treat malaria. The treatment was lost over time but was rediscovered during an archaeological dig in the 1970s. Since that time, artemisinin has become widely used in Asia and Africa to treat malaria.

Artemisinin fights malaria by reacting with the high iron concentration contained in the malaria parasite. When in contact with iron, artemisinin causes a chemical reaction, creating free radicals that attack cell membranes, breaking them apart and killing the parasite.

Researchers hypothesized that this process may have an affect on cancer. "Cancer cells need a lot of iron to replicate DNA when they divide," said Lai. "As a result, cancer cells have much higher iron concentrations than normal cells. When we began to understand how artemisinin worked, I started wondering if we could use that knowledge to target cancer cells."

Other Sources: University of Washington