Two Novel Proteins Bind Specifically to Trichosanthin on Choriocarcinoma Cell Membrane

Clinical Use of Toxic Proteins and Peptides from Tian Hua Fen and Scorpion Venom

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been practiced in China for thousands of years. As a complementary and alternative treatment, herbal medicines that are frequently used in the TCM are the most accepted in the Western world. However, animal materials, which are equally important in the TCM practice, are not well-known in other countries. On the other hand, the Chinese doctors had documented the toxic profiles of hundreds of animals and plants thousand years ago. Furthermore, they saw the potential benefits of these materials and used their toxic properties to treat a wide variety of diseases, such as heavy pain and cancer. Since the 50s of the last century, efforts of the Chinese government and societies to modernize TCM have achieved tremendous scientific results in both laboratory and clinic. A number of toxic proteins have been isolated and their functions identified. Although most of the literature was written in Chinese, this review provide a summary, in English, regarding our knowledge of the clinical use of the toxic proteins isolated from a plant, Tian Hua Fen, and an animal, scorpion, both of which are famous toxic prescriptions in TCM.

Anti-tumor action of trichosanthin, a type 1 ribosome-inactivating protein, employed in traditional Chinese medicine: a mini review

Trichosanthin (TCS) as a midterm abortifacient medicine has been used clinically in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. Additionally, TCS manifests a host of pharmacological properties, for instance, anti-HIV and anti-tumor activities. TCS has been reported to inhibit cell growth of a diversity of cancers, including cervical cancer, choriocarcinoma, and leukemia/lymphoma, etc. This article purported to review the various anti-tumor activities of TCS and the mechanism of apoptosis it induced in these tumor cells. These research progresses provide an insight into cancer research and treatment as well as disclose new pharmacological properties of the ancient but popular Chinese medicine.

Cucurbitacin B has a potent antiproliferative effect on breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo

Cucurbitacins are a group of diverse triterpenoid substances isolated from plants with medicinal properties. One particularly potent family member is cucurbitacin B (CuB). The antiproliferative effects of CuB against human breast cancer cells were tested. Six human breast cancer cell lines were examined because they represent a diverse mix of breast cancer subtypes varying in expression of estrogen receptor (ER), Her2/neu, and p53 mutation. The antiproliferative effect of CuB were also studied in vivo. The effective dose inhibiting 50% growth (ED(50)) was between 10(-8) M and 10(-7) M for this collection of breast cancer cell lines. These cells underwent rapid morphologic changes after 15-20 min exposure to CuB (5 x 10(-7) M), which was associated with disruption of the microtubules and F-actin, as observed by confocal microscopy. Human MDA-MB-231 (ER-, p53 mutated) breast cancer cells were orthotopically implanted into the breasts of nude mice who intraperitoneally received either CuB 1.0 mg/kg or vehicle. Tumor volume was reduced by 55% in the group that received CuB for 6 weeks compared with vehicle controls. No apparent organ tissue damage was observed by pathological assessment. Interestingly, the experimental mice had lower serum glucose levels, consistent with use of CuB as an antidiabetic drug in China. This drug appears to be a third in a family of drugs targeting the microtubules (taxanes [e.g. taxol], vinca alkaloid [e.g. vincristine], and now CuB). Our in vitro and in vivo results suggest that CuB may be an effective, new approach for the treatment of ER-, Her2/neu amplified, and p53 mutant breast cancers.