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Adding Compound Kushen Injection (CKI), a traditional Chinese medicine, to chemotherapy treatment enhanced treatment response and reduced side effects in advanced colorectal cancer patients.
2024 Integrative Cancer Therapies Efficacy and Safety of Compound Kushen Injection for Advanced Colorectal Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials with Trial Sequential Analysis Wu J, Ma X, Wang X, Zhu G, Wang H, Zhang Y, et al.
Meta-Analysis Colorectal Cancer Ku Shen
This study systematically collected data from a myriad of sources including, but not limited to, PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov up to April 20, 2024. An assessment tool, ROB2, was used to measure the quality of the included trials, while data analysis was done using Stata 16. Publication bias was evaluated with the funnel plot and Egger's test. To calculate the final required sample size in this meta-analysis and verify whether the results presented a stable conclusion, trial sequential analysis was used.
The data collected from these sixteen trials, consisting of 1378 patients showcased that when compared to chemotherapy alone, the combination of CKI and chemotherapy resulted in improved response rates and enhancement of the patient's performance status. Furthermore, this combination therapy was associated with fewer adverse reactions like leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, gastrointestinal reactions, and liver damage. Patients also exhibited high CD4 ratios and comparatively low CD8 T cell ratios. A subgroup analysis further demonstrated that the response rates improved significantly when CKI was combined with specific chemotherapy regimens. Overall, this data strongly suggests that the addition of CKI to chemotherapy provided statistically significant and clinically relevant improvements in treatment response rates, patient wellbeing, reduction in adverse reactions, and enhanced immune function.
Berry fruits such as blueberries, cranberries, raspberries, and strawberries could potentially improve gut microbiota and reverse dysbiosis in chronic kidney disease patients.
2023 Nutrition Reviews Blueberry, cranberry, raspberry, and strawberry as modulators of the gut microbiota: target for treatment of gut dysbiosis in chronic kidney disease? From current evidence to future possibilities Coutinho-Wolino KS, Melo MFS, Mota JC, Mafra D, Guimarães JT, Stockler-Pinto MB
Review Article Blueberry Chronic Kidney Disease Gut Microbiota
Methodology: This research explores the therapeutic potential of berry fruits, including blueberries, cranberries, raspberries, and strawberries, in relation to modulating gut microbiota in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. The fruit’s rich polyphenol and nutrient content are assumed to promote the selective growth of beneficial bacteria, thus improving the clinical status of these patients. The study scrutinizes the impact on the abundance of mucus-producing bacteria and short-chain fatty acids specifically.
Discussion of Results: The gathered evidence illustrates that berry fruits, particularly with a daily intake of 5 mg, can promote diversity in the gut microbiota and possibly reverse dysbiosis, a common issue in chronic kidney disease patients. These fruits are found to increase the expression of mRNA involved in gut tight junctions such as occludin, TJP1, and mucin, and they may reduce uremic toxins by controlling the gut microbiota, improving the uremic condition. As such, long-term use of berry fruits could be an effective strategy for CKD patients.
Crocin, a compound derived from saffron, has shown considerable potential in hindering tumor growth and improving immune status, across various malignant tumors.
2023 PeerJ Advances on the anti-tumor mechanisms of the carotenoid Crocin Bao X, Hu J, Zhao Y, Jia R, Zhang H, Xia L
Review Article Anti-Tumour Breast Cancer Cervical Cancer
The methodology for the study involved an in-depth review of modern pharmacological studies that have analyzed the therapeutic effects of crocin, a natural compound that can be extracted from saffron. Various anti-tumor effects were assessed including the induction of tumor cell death (apoptosis), restrictions on tumor cell proliferation, and potential barriers to invasion and metastasis of these cells. The potential for enhancement of sensitivity to chemotherapy and improvement of immune status were also examined.
Following the review, the study revealed that crocin has significant anti-tumor properties. It showed that this natural compound can induce apoptosis in tumor cells, inhibit their expansion and progression, and even prevent their invasiveness and metastasis. Furthermore, crocin demonstrated the potential to enhance the body’s responsiveness to chemotherapy and help boost the immune system. These effects were observed across a range of different malignant tumors, including stomach, liver, cervical, breast, and colorectal cancers.
Moderate consumption of carrots is associated with a lower incidence of colorectal cancer, implying a potential cancer prevention effect in a certain dose-range.
2022 Frontiers in Nutrition Association of Dietary Carrot/Carotene Intakes With Colorectal Cancer Incidence and Mortality in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial Jiang Z, Chen H, Li M, Wang W, Fan C, Long F
Cohort Study Carotene Carrot Colorectal Cancer
The research analysed the dietary intake of carrots/carotene and their relationship to colorectal cancer incidence and mortality in a cohort from the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening. The study involved 101,680 participants who joined the cohort between November 1993 and July 2001. The hazard ratios were estimated through multivariable Cox regression analyses. Additionally, subgroup analyses and interaction tests were conducted to check for potential effect modifiers. A generalised additive model was used to examine the non-linear trend of the exposure to cancer-related outcomes.
In total, the study documented 1,100 colorectal cancer cases and 443 cancer-related deaths. It was discovered that dietary carrot intake was linked to a 21% lower risk of colorectal cancer incidence for those in the 4th quintile group compared to the lowest quintile group. Increase in carrot intakes, on a per standard deviation, did not reveal any statistically significant associations with the disease incidence. There were no significant associations found between dietary α-, and β-carotene intake and colorectal cancer incidence, nor were there any associations between carrot/carotene intakes and cancer mortality. They also observed no non-linear dose-response relationships between dietary carrot, α-, and β-carotene intake and colorectal cancer incidence and mortality. Notably, the study found that smoking status could potentially modify the association of dietary carrot intake with incidence of colorectal cancer, but not mortality.
Pomegranate juice and its bioactive components may serve as cost-effective, next-generation non-pharmacologic anticancer therapies, particularly against colorectal and prostate cancer.
2021 Current Drug Delivery Pomegranate, its Components, and Modern Deliverable Formulations as Potential Botanicals in the Prevention and Treatment of Various Cancers Hussein L, Gouda M, Buttar HS
Review Article Anticancer Colorectal Cancer Pomegranate
Methodology: The present review was undertaken to provide current information on the impact of pomegranate juice and its bioactive elements, critically focusing on the effects on the most common six types of cancer. The inherent polyphenolic compounds of pomegranate, such as ellagitannins and punicalagin, are known to have substantial antioxidant capability which has been evaluated through in vitro and in vivo studies. These compounds' ability to avert free radicals and design metal-chelates in biological tissues have offered a useful basis to extrapolate their impact on various types of cancers.
Discussion of Results: The findings indicate that the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of pomegranate possess significant antimutagenic and antiproliferative activities, which proved to be beneficial in modifying gene expression, moderating cellular mechanisms, and limiting the metastasis of cancerous cells. In addition to this, there are reports from a few clinical trials showing the potential of pomegranate ingredients to prevent and treat cancer, notably colorectal and prostate cancer. It’s been noticed that the pomegranate driven therapies may prove to be a cost-effective alternative to costly chemotherapies which often carry drug resistances and severe side effects. Such therapies could offer lesser side effects, making them potential candidates for future non-pharmacologic anticancer treatments.
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