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    Pharmacognosy CommunicationsNOW IN
    Article

    Identification of the anticancer mechanism of the traditional Chinese medicine compound kushen injection

    I.E. Cock1,2★★ Corresponding author

    1. 1School of Natural Sciences, Nathan Campus, Griffith University, 170 Kessels Rd, Nathan, Brisbane, Queensland 4111, Australia.
    2. 2Environmental Futures Centre, Nathan Campus, Griffith University, 170 Kessels Rd, Nathan, Brisbane, Queensland 4111, Australia.

    CORRESPONDENCE

    I.E. Cock

    School of Natural Sciences, Nathan Campus, Griffith University, 170 Kessels Rd, Nathan, Brisbane, Queensland 4111, Australia.

    I.Cock@griffith.edu.au

    Volume 7, Issue 1 · pp. 61–62 · PUBLISHED · DOI:

    View on Pharmacogn. Commn. original site ↗

    ABSTRACT

    Compound Kushen injection (CKI) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formulation composed of aqueous Sophorae flavescentis Aiton root and Smilax glabrae Roxb. rhizome extracts. It has traditionally been used as an anti-inflammatory drug. It also has antineoplastic activity and has been approved in China to treat several cancers. Despite its chemo- therapeutic usage, the anticancer mechanism of CKI is yet to be fully elu- cidated. This may be due to the reductionist approach of many scientific studies, which are reliant on the isolation and screening of individual extract components. Whilst this is a viable approach for many medi- cines, it is not always effective for complex plant based medicines. TCM generally consists of mixtures of plants/extracts, combined to create a high potency drug. Often, when the individual components are tested in isolation, they have poor efficacy, whereas combinations of components may have additive or synergistic effects. A recent study from an Adelaide University group examined the anticancer mechanism of CKI, 2 making it one of the first studies to report molecular mechanisms for complex mixtures. The study utilised a systems biology approach, which monitors all measurable aspects of the system, rather than focussing on a single bioactivity or morphological change. The research team determined that CKI affected multiple pathways, with cell cycle regulation being particu- larly important. Furthermore CKI was also reported to induce apoptosis in MCF-7 cells via p53 independent mechanisms.

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        Cock, I. (). Identification of the anticancer mechanism of the traditional Chinese medicine compound kushen injection. Pharmacognosy Communications, 7(1), 61–62.