Radioprotective Herbs
Radioprotection is an important function in complementary oncology. Ionizing radiation (IR) therapy has been used in cancer treatment for many decades; it is used to eradicate cancer and as a palliative to relieve pain associated with metastases. In the course of treatment, radiation produces numerous biological perturbations in cells; because normal cell toxicity limits the doses used in effective treatment, approaches are designed to strike a balance between eliminating cancer cells and protecting normal tissues. The primary focus in radiotherapy is to increase DNA damage in tumor cells, as double strand breaks are important in cell death. Read more »

Current Western research related to S. barbata is focused on cancer treatment, which corresponds to the most common use of S. barbata by TCM practitioners. Other common uses that practitioners reported included infection and inflammation, for which Beijing practitioners reported use of S. barbata more often than Nanjing practitioners (p<0.05). Hedyotis diffusa was found to be the most commonly cited herb to pair with S. barbata for cancer treatment (p<0.05). When compared to Western clinical trials of BZL101, an S. barbata extract, TCM practitioners reported using smaller doses of S. barbata in shorter durations, in combination with numerous other herbs with the goal to potentiate therapeutic efficacy and mitigate side effects. Read more »