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Artemisinin (pronounced /ɑːtə'misinən/) is a drug used to treat multi-drug resistant strains of falciparum malaria. The compound (a sesquiterpene lactone) is isolated from the plant Artemisia annua. Not all plants of this species contain artemisinin. Apparently it is only produced when the plant is subjected to certain conditions, most likely biotic or abiotic stress. It can be synthesized from artemisinic acid.[1] The drug is derived from a herb used in Chinese traditional medicine, though it is usually chemically modified and combined with other medications. Artemisinin is under early research and testing for treatment of cancer, primarily by researchers at the University of Washington.[7][8] Artemisinin has a peroxide lactone group in its structure. It is thought that when the peroxide comes into contact with high iron concentrations (common in cancerous cells), the molecule becomes unstable and releases reactive oxygen species. It has been shown to reduce angiogenesis and the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor in some tissue cultures.

A systematic review of the anticancer properties of berberine, a natural product from Chinese herbs. Sun Y, Xun K, Wang Y, Chen X. Anticancer Drugs. 2009 Oct;20(9):757-69. PMID: 19704371

Artemisia Annua (Sweet Wormwood) is a shrubby perennial native to China. The leaf of the plant contains up to 0.04 percent Artemisinin. This herb has been used over the centuries by Chinese medical practitioners. Artemisinin came to the attention of the World Health Organization in the 1970s when Quinine lost efficacy against malaria. Artemisinin is the only drug effective against malaria and hundreds of millions of doses are prescribed for that purpose every year. The artemisinin molecule has an affinity for iron, which the malarial parasite sequesters internally. Artemisinin enters the malarial parasite and combines with sequestered iron to create Reactive Oxygen Species, rupturing the parasite. Like malarial parasites, cancer cells concentrate and sequester high levels of iron. Moreover cancer cells overexpress cell surface receptors for iron-containing compounds like ferritin and holotransferrin. Therefore, Artemisinin has a high affinity for cancer cells, and upon entering the cell combines with intercellular iron creating ROS-mediated apoptosis. Artemisinin is the only chemotherapeutic agent that lacks the tertiary amine necessary to usher the drug back out of the cell. This document is based on the research of Dr. Henry Lai and Dr. Narenda Singh at the University of Washington,and the medical practice of Dr. Ba Hoang of Vietnam and San Jose, California. There are a few points of divergence among experts studying Artemisinin, therefore more than one protocol is outlined below.

Evaluation of active hexose correlated compound hepatic metabolism and potential for drug interactions with chemotherapy agents. Mach CM, Fugii H, Wakame K, Smith J. J Soc Integr Oncol. 2008 Summer;6(3):105-9. PMID: 19087767

A systematic review of the anticancer properties of berberine, a natural product from Chinese herbs. Sun Y, Xun K, Wang Y, Chen X. Anticancer Drugs. 2009 Oct;20(9):757-69. PMID: 19704371

"NOTTINGHAM, England, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- A drug derived from a mushroom -- cordycepin -- may be used to treat some cancers, British researchers say. Dr. Cornelia de Moor of The University of Nottingham in England and colleagues are investigating the drug originally extracted from a rare parasitic mushroom called cordyceps that grows on caterpillars. The researchers say low-dose cordycepin seems to inhibit the uncontrolled growth and division of cells and at high doses it also inhibits growth by stopping cells from sticking together. Both of these effects, they say, probably have the same underlying mechanism -- interfering with the production of cell proteins.

"The clinical potential for a liver-protective supplement in cancer care is significant, as I've observed in many years of integrative medical practice," writes Dr. Keith Block, ICT editor. "Several chemotherapy drugs, as well as many of the other drugs cancer patients take, have extremely problematic liver toxicities. With this exclusive edition, the scientific community will have a resource to guide and inspire further research on this very interesting herbal medicine."

If you're from Japan, you're probably wondering why I've listed PSK under alternative therapies. In Japan, PSK is an approved anti-cancer drug with 20 years of research behind it. PSK sales in Japan account for hundreds of millions dollars worth of sales each year. But in the US, PSK is little known, is not used by mainstream doctors, and until recently nothing like it was readily available. Now a nutritional supplement designed to be identical to PSK is available in the US, but very few mainstream doctors, and actually not many alternative practitioners are aware of it. So in the US, PSK has the status of a little known nutritional supplement or alternative therapy. Which is too bad in light of its proven benefits, easy administration, and lack of toxicity. Before I start sounding too much more like an advertisement, let me confess. I really am excited about it, but I have no financial interest in it; I'm not selling it.

A proprietary extract prepared from co-cultured mycelia of several species of Basidiomycete mushrooms, including shiitake (Lentinus edodes), active hexose correlated compound (AHCC) is extracted from mushrooms using hot water following an enzyme pretreatment, but specific mushroom source and preparation details have not been fully disclosed. Patients use this to prevent and treat cancer. Animal studies suggest that AHCC has antioxidant effects and may protect against disorders induced by oxidative stress (1) and may also enhance resistance against bacterial (2) (7)and viral infections (3). In healthy humans, AHCC increased dendritic cell number and function (4) In vitro and animal studies show that AHCC exhibits some anticancer activities, but the results of these studies are vague

Active Hexose Correlated Compound (AHCC) is an alpha-glucan rich nutritional supplement produced from the mycelia of shiitake (Lentinula edodes) of the basidiomycete family of mushrooms, and should not be confused or used as a drug or medicine.[1][2] AHCC was originally designed to lower high-blood pressure. However, researchers at Tokyo University found AHCC's influence upon the innate immune system highly beneficial and published the results in 1992, though not in the commonly indexed scientific literature. In this study, researchers found that AHCC significantly increased natural killer (NK) cell activity in cancer patients, and also enhanced the effects of killer T-cells, and cytokines (interferon, IL-12, TNF-alpha

"Berberine is a quaternary ammonium salt from the group of isoquinoline alkaloids. It is found in such plants as Berberis, goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis), and Coptis chinensis, usually in the roots, rhizomes, stems, and bark. Berberine is strongly yellow colored, which is why in earlier times berberis species were used to dye wool, leather and wood. Wool is still today dyed with berberine in Northern India Berberine (BBR) is a natural compound with up-regulating activity on both low-density-lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) and insulin receptor (InsR). This one-drug-multiple-target characteristic might be suitable for the treatment of metabolic syndrome.[12] Berberine has been tested and used successfully in experimental[13] and human diabetes mellitus.[14][15][16] Berberine has been shown to lower elevated blood glucose as effectively as metformin.[17] The mechanisms include inhibition of aldose reductase,[18] inducing glycolysis,[19] preventing insulin resistance[20] through increasing insulin receptor expression[14] and acting like incretins. Berberine has drawn extensive attention towards its antineoplastic effects.[43][44] It seems to suppress the growth of a wide variety of tumor cells including breast cancer,[45] leukemia, melanoma,[46] epidermoid carcinoma, hepatoma, oral carcinoma, tongue carcinoma,[47] glioblastoma, prostate carcinoma, gastric carcinoma.[48][49] Animal studies have shown that berberine can suppress chemical-induced carcinogenesis, tumor promotion, tumor invasion,[50][51][52][53][54] prostate cancer,[55][56][57][58] neuroblastoma,[59][60] and leukemia.[34][61] It is a radiosensitzer of tumor cells but not of normal cells

A heat-stable extract of white button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) with potential chemopreventive and immunomodulating activities. Phytochemicals, such as polysaccharides and especially beta-D-glucans found in the white button mushroom extract, bind to and inhibit the activity of aromatase, an enzyme responsible for the conversion of androgens to estrogens and which is often upregulated in breast cancer cells. The consequent decrease in estrogen production may result in the suppression of estrogen-dependent cellular proliferation. In addition, this extract may promote dendritic cell (DC) maturation, increase interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) production, and may enhance natural killer (NK) cell activity, thus amplifying both innate and T cell-mediated immune responses against cancer cells. Check for active clinical trials or closed clinical trials using this agent.

Flaig TW, Gustafson DL, Su LJ, Zirrolli JA, Crighton F, Harrison GS, Pierson AS, Agarwal R, Glode LM. A phase I and pharmacokinetic study of silybin-phytosome in prostate cancer patients. Invest New Drugs. 2007 Apr;25(2):139-46. Epub 2006 Nov 1. PMID

Singh RP, Agarwal R. Prostate cancer prevention by silibinin. Curr Cancer Drug Targets. 2004 Feb;4(1):1-11. Review. PMID: 14965263 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]