Herb-Cancer Drug Interactions
- Parent Category: ROOT
There is a significant body of experimental and clinical data supporting a potentially positive role for botanicals in combination with conventional treatments in oncology. Using botanical medicines to counter the adverse effects of the toxic treatments used in conventional oncology would perhaps have surprised the Physiomedicalists, but is an intrinsic component of integrative approaches. Many chemo preventive compounds are associated with beneficial chemo sensitization and radio sensitization; other plant compounds such as flavonoids disable the pumps that cause multidrug resistance. The immunomodulating and adaptogenic herbs described above protect against myelosuppression, which is the dose-limiting toxicity of many chemotherapeutic drugs, as well as increasing the ability of cancer patients to withstand the general stress of both chemo and radiation. Other herbs offer protection against specific toxicities of chemotherapy. Almost invariably these plant medicines are “pharmacological multitaskers”. Ginkgo for example protects against platinum induced renal toxicity, Cytotoxicity and neuropathy, and also acts as a radiation sensitizer by increasing local perfusion rates. Green tea compounds not only enhance doxorubicin transport into malignant cells, it protects the myocardium against the cardio toxic effects of the drug. From the integrative perspective, the list of potential beneficial interactions between botanicals and conventional cancer treatments is long and impressive.
ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE IN TREATMENT OF CANCER:
- Parent Category: ROOT
The emerging integrative model of cancer treatment recognizes the importance of botanical medicine. However, despite extensive positive research data from experimental and preclinical studies, and the anecdotal clinical experience of many practitioners, patients and cancer survivors, its potential in this field remains largely untapped and large-scale clinical trials are generally unavailable. The reasons for this are multi factorial, and include historical, political, and cultural factors – and almost invariably a misunderstanding of the core principles of herbal medicine itself. Toward that end, IAPRO has embarked in a quest to develop solutions to aid in effective cancer treatment.
ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE IN TREATMENT OF HIV/AIDS
- Parent Category: ROOT
Alternative medicine has been called natural, complementary, `holistic` and numerous other terms, which refer to elements of a particular modality or tradition. The traditional ethno medicinal systems are by nature holistic, meaning that they aim to treat the whole individual, rather than a specific disease or symptom, and those they address not only the physical aspect of the patient but also the mind and the spirit. It is assumed that each individual possesses an innate healing capacity (the "immune system" in the broadest sense), and the goal generally is to reinforce this capacity and restore strength and balance to weakened systems using a variety of natural modalities: body work, detoxification, foods, herbs and other botanicals, tailored as much as to the individual’s specific constitution and condition. The use of alternative therapies for AIDS grew out of this same eclectic mix.
At the beginning of the epidemic, little or no treatment was available for people with HIV possible/AIDS. Although as yet there is no cure, over the last decade researchers have identified a number of drugs that slow progression of the virus as well as therapies to treat the many opportunistic infections that attack people with HIV disease. The key to effective treatment is early detection and intervention. Some early treatments aim to strengthen the immune system, help patients reduce stress, and maintain good nutritional practices and appropriate exercise regimens.
Many of the getting alternative therapies described below place significant emphasis on these lifestyle issues. Taking an active role in any disease is an important adjunct to treatment. Consideration of alternative therapies in conjunction with conventional medicine may offer additional opportunities for persons living with HIV/AIDS to be proactively involved in their treatment.
ANTI-VIRAL IN VITRO STUDIES ON NATURAL EXTRACTS CONDUCTED BY IAPRO:
- Parent Category: ROOT
IAPRO Group of scientists had been working in identifying the alternative medicines for HIV/AIDS Treatment and succeeded in evaluating some of Indigenous Alternative treatment for HIV/AIDS.
Not only the retroviral family targeted in the research, we have extended our research in identifying the indigenous alternative medicines to other viral infections in human beings.