Seong-woo Yoon

Rhus verniciflua Stokes against Advanced Cancer: A Perspective from the Korean Integrative Cancer Center

Active anticancer molecules have been searched from natural products; many drugs were developed from either natural products or their derivatives following the conventional pharmaceutical paradigm of drug discovery. However, the advances in the knowledge of cancer biology have led to personalized medicine using molecular-targeted agents which create new paradigm. Clinical benefit is dependent on individual biomarker and overall survival is prolonged through cytostatic rather than cytotoxic effects to cancer cell. Therefore, a different approach is needed from the single lead compound screening model based on cytotoxicity. In our experience, the Rhus verniciflua stoke (RVS) extract traditionally used for cancer treatment is beneficial to some advanced cancer patients though it is herbal extract not single compound, and low cytotoxic in vitro. The standardized RVS extracts action mechanisms as well as clinical outcomes are reviewed here. We hope that these preliminary results would stimulate different investigation in natural products from conventional chemicals.

Impact of Standardized Rhus verniciflua Stokes Extract as Complementary Therapy on Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: A Korean Single-Center Experience

Background. To investigate the clinical feasibility of the standardized Rhus verniciflua Stokes (RVS) extract for the metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), experimentally proven to have anticancer activities. Patients and Methods. From July 2006 to November 2007, patients with conventional chemotherapy refractory mCRC were checked. After fulfilling inclusion/exclusion criteria, 36 patients were eligible for the final analysis. Overall survival and adverse events of patients treated with RVS in the aftercare period were determined. Results. On October 21, 2008, a total of 26 patients died while the remaining 10 patients were alive with evidence of disease. The median RVS administration period was 2.7 months (95% confidence interval, 1.9-3.5). The median overall survival for the entire population was 10.9 months (95% confidence interval, 5.6-16.1) and 1-year survival rate was 44.4%, which is compatible with external controls. By survival analysis using Cox proportional hazards model, the performance status and the prior chemotherapy regimen number significantly affected overall survival. Adverse reactions to the RVS treatment were mostly mild and self-limiting. Conclusion. Complementary treatment with the standardized RVS extract might be beneficial for patients with mCRC, since it positively affected overall survival without significant side effects. This study suggests that RVS could be a natural anticancer agent candidate for the treatment of colorectal adenocarcinoma.

Shrinkage of gastric cancer in an elderly patient who received Rhus verniciflua Stokes extract.

BACKGROUND Many studies have suggested that the flavonoids from Rhus verniciflua Stokes (RVS) are anticancer agents, but a few clinical studies have reported on this topic. PATIENT AND METHOD We present here the case of a female patient (82 years old) with an adenocarcinoma of the stomach that was first diagnosed via an abdomen computed tomography (CT) scan and endoscopic biopsy. Any conventional therapy such as surgical resection was not performed because of her advanced age. She wanted to receive alternative care, and so she was exclusively treated with standardized RVS extract. COURSE OF THERAPY AND RESULTS: Daily therapy with 900 mg of orally administered RVS extract was initiated on September 25, 2006. Five (5) months later, the gastroscopy and abdomen CT scan showed a marked decrease in the polypoid mass at the mid body and a slight decrease in the flat elevated lesion at the prepyloric antrum, as compared to tumor sizes on the first gastroscopy and abdomen CT scan. She is alive and doing well at the present time (April 2009). CONCLUSIONS We suggest that RVS extract could be a candidate for a natural agent that induces selective apoptosis and inhibits cell growth in gastric adenocarcinoma.

Bojanggunbi-tang, a traditional Korean herbal prescription, ameliorates colonic inflammation induced by dextran sulfate sodium and 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid in mice

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE In traditional Korean medicine, Bojanggunbi-tang (BGT), which consists of 16 herbs, is one of the most frequently used herbal prescriptions in South Korea for treating intestinal disorders such as colitis. AIM OF THE STUDY This study investigated whether BGT could show a protective action on 2 different mice models of experimental colitis induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) and 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS), which have been popularly used as inflammatory bowel disease models. MATERIALS AND METHODS Colitis was induced by DSS and TNBS in institute of cancer research mice. BGT at doses of 50, 150, or 450 mg/kg were orally administered twice a day for 7d in the DSS model and for 3d in the TNBS model. The body weight of the mice was measured daily. Colon length and histological damages were assessed on day 7 in the DSS model and on day 3 in the TNBS model. RESULTS BGT showed protective effects in both types of experimental colitis. In the DSS model, BGT dose dependently inhibited weight loss, shortening of colon length, and histological damages of the colon. In the TNBS model, BGT inhibited shortening of colon length and improved the survival rate of mice; however, it did not inhibit weight loss. CONCLUSION The current results indicate that BGT ameliorates both DSS- and TNBS-induced colitis in mice. Further investigations to unveil the exact mechanisms are needed.

Carcinostatic effect of allergen removed Rhus Verniciflua stokes based Traditional Korean Medicine on a patient with lung adenocarcinoma; single case report

Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer mortality and overall treatment outcomes for lung cancer are still to be considered disappointing despite of development of new medical therapeutics on cancer. Cytostatic agents are considered as novel medication in the treatment of cancer though its benefit is most appropriately assessed through survival end points rather than the objective-response end points. We present a case of a lung adenocarcinoma patient who showed tumor lesion in patients two different lung sites. From the day of diagnosis, the tumor lesion stayed with the almost same size with more than 1 year of Allergen-Removed Rhus Verniciflua Stokes (A-RVS) based Traditional Korean Medicine treatment without any western conventional treatment. No significant side effect was noted and the patient maintained good performance status throughout the treatment period. We assume A-RVS may have cytostatic effect on NSCLC patient and our observation justifies further investigation.