How Gecko, a traditional Chinese medicine, helps fight cancer

Washington, Sept 25 : Gecko, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), is known to have anti-tumour effects, however, the mechanisms behind the action have remained unclear. Now, a research team has claimed that it has identified the unknown.

Most studies on action mechanisms of TCM in anti-tumour showed that TCM could inhibit tumours though supporting the healthy energy and strengthening the body resistance.

The team led by Prof. Wang from Henan University of China showed that Gecko could not only strengthen the immune response of organism but also induction of tumour cell apoptosis and the suppress protein expression of VEGF and bFGF, which is critical to cancer development.

Chemotherapy, one of the major methods to treat cancer in Western medicine at present, has a poor selectivity and strong toxic and side effects, thus influencing its anticancer effect.

In the past 40 years, Chinese experts have gained remarkable achievements in cancer treatment by integrating TCM with chemotherapy.

The findings were published on 7 July 2008, in the World Journal of Gastroenterology.

ANI