Future PC-SPES research
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
UCLA's Center for Human Nutrition is working with PC-SPES inventor Sophie Chen to ensure future research of the recalled herbal blend, according to UCLA Division of Clinical Nutrition Director David Heber, MD/PhD. "The strategies and details for manufacturing enough material for the ongoing...clinical trials in a properly controlled manufacturing environment are being actively developed," Heber noted during a House Government Reform Committee hearing July 25. PC-SPES was recalled in February due to contamination with warfarin, but Heber and colleagues believe the herbal mixture may inhibit cancer cell growth. Separately, the UCLA researcher filed an IND with FDA in mid-June to conduct metabolic studies comparing red yeast rice and Merck's cholesterol-lowering drug Mevacor...
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PC-SPES research
Herbal mixture "significantly suppressed cell proliferation in colon cancer cell lines" after 72 hours of exposure, Sergio Huerta, UCLA, et al., report in September Cancer Research. In an in vitro study, 11 female mice were given 250 mg/kg/day PC-SPES (Botanic Lab) five times a week for 10 weeks, while 10 mice in placebo group were given .2 mL "vehicle solution." Researchers also report results of in vivo study demonstrating oral PC-SPES-treated mice saw a "significant decrease in polyp number in the medial and distal segments of the small intestines." Huerta et al. conclude the supplement has "potent anticancer effects and results in both cell cycle arrest and apoptosis." UCLA is working with PC-SPES inventor to guarantee future research on herbal blend, which has been plagued by Rx contamination problems (1"The Tan Sheet" Aug. 5, 2002, In Brief)...
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