Current state of research on the clinical benefits of herbal medicines for non-life-threatening ailments.

Herbal medicines are becoming increasingly popular among patients because they are well tolerated and do not exert severe side effects. Nevertheless, they receive little consideration in therapeutic settings. The present article reviews the current state of research on the clinical benefits of herbal medicines on five indication groups, psychosomatic disorders, gynecological complaints, gastrointestinal disorders, urinary and upper respiratory tract infections.

Novel Insights into the Therapeutic Potential of Curcumin and Derivatives.

The polyphenol curcumin (diferuloylmethane) is extracted from the plant turmeric (), and it is widely used as a spice component or coloring agent [...

How do German General Practitioners Manage Long-/Post-COVID? A Qualitative Study in Primary Care.

Background: Many patients with ongoing complaints after a SARS-CoV-2 infection are treated in primary care. Existing medical guidelines on how to diagnose and treat Long-/Post-COVID are far from being comprehensive. This study aims to describe how German general practitioners (GPs) deal with this situation, what problems they experience when managing such patients, and how they solve problems associated with the diagnosis and treatment of Long-/Post-COVID.

Curcumin 3.0-Therapeutic and Diagnostic Potential in Cancer and Beyond.

Curcumin is one of the most interesting plant-derived polyphenols with a high potential for therapeutic, and even diagnostic, application in various diseases [...

In Silico and In Vitro Screening of 50 Curcumin Compounds as EGFR and NF-κB Inhibitors.

The improvement of cancer chemotherapy remains a major challenge, and thus new drugs are urgently required to develop new treatment regimes. Curcumin, a polyphenolic antioxidant derived from the rhizome of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.), has undergone extensive preclinical investigations and, thereby, displayed remarkable efficacy in vitro and in vivo against cancer and other disorders.

Chronic active non-lethal human-type tuberculosis in a high royal Bavarian officer of Napoleonic times-a mummy study.

In paleopathology, morphological and molecular evidence for infection by mycobacteria of the M. tuberculosis complex (MTC) is frequently associated with early death. In the present report, we describe a multidisciplinary study of a well-preserved mummy from Napoleonic times with a long-standing tuberculous infection by M.

Low Dosed Curcumin Combined with Visible Light Exposure Inhibits Renal Cell Carcinoma Metastatic Behavior In Vitro.

Recent documentation shows that a curcumin-induced growth arrest of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cells can be amplified by visible light. This study was designed to investigate whether this strategy may also contribute to blocking metastatic progression of RCC. Low dosed curcumin (0.

Multimodal Treatment of Patients with Mental Symptom Load: A Pre-Post Comparison.

The Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Hospital in Bad Kötzting, Germany, is treating chronically ill patients, covering a broad range of indications. The aim of this study was to prove the efficacy of a multimodal intervention combining mainstream medicine with TCM treatments on the severity of psychopathological symptoms. Out of 966 patients with chronic psychosomatic disease treated 2017 at the TCM Hospital, we selected 759 patients according to specific criteria and analyzed the outcomes after multimodal intervention.

Therapeutic Effects of Curcumin-From Traditional Past to Present and Future Clinical Applications.

The efficacy of the plant-derived polyphenol curcumin, in various aspects of health and wellbeing, are a matter of public interest. An internet search of the term "Curcumin" displays about 12 million hits. Among the multitudinous information presented on partly doubtful websites, there are reports attracting the reader with promises ranging from eternal youth to cures for incurable diseases.

The TALENT II study: a randomized controlled trial assessing the impact of an individual health management (IHM) on stress reduction.

Background: Unfavorable lifestyle factors influence the risk of stress disorders. For risk reduction, lifestyle modifications, such as regular physical activity, balanced nutrition and competence in stress management, are a means of choice. The clinical study examines the efficacy of an intensive lifestyle intervention, named Individual Health Management (IHM), - with regard to a reduction of perceived stress.

Introduction of a web portal for an Individual Health Management and observational health data sciences.

Background: There is a global trend to a stronger active involvement of persons in the maintenance and restoring of health. The Competence Centre for Complementary Medicine and Naturopathy (CoCoNat) of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has developed a lifestyle concept to enable each individual to manage his or her health - Individual Health Management (IHM) - and a web-based health portal named Virtual Tool for Education, Reporting, Information and Outcomes (VITERIO), which addresses these needs for practice and research.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to establish a core set of questionnaires for a self-assessment program on certain risk indications and comprehensive protection factors of health and to develop and enhance 1) tools for individual feedback, longitudinal self-monitoring, self-assessment, and (self-)care-planning; 2) training packages; 3) open notes and records for provider and patient; and 4) tools for monitoring groups and single participants in various indicators for individual coaching and scientific evaluation.

The Role of Curcumin in Prevention and Management of Metastatic Disease.

In the last two decades, targeted therapies have enhanced tumor patient care and treatment success, however, metastatic growth still cannot be stopped efficiently and, therefore, mortality rates remain high. Prevention strategies against formation of metastases are the most promising approach we have, however, due to lack of clinical validation studies, they have not yet entered routine clinical care. In order to smooth the way for efficient prevention, further preclinical and large clinical studies are required.

A highly invasive subpopulation of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells shows accelerated growth, differential chemoresistance, features of apocrine tumors and reduced tumorigenicity in vivo.

The acquisition of an invasive phenotype is a prerequisite for metastasization, yet it is not clear whether or to which extent the invasive phenotype is linked to other features characteristic of metastatic cells. We selected an invasive subpopulation from the triple negative breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231, performing repeated cycles of preparative assays of invasion through Matrigel covered membranes. The invasive sub-population of MDA-MB-231 cells exhibits stronger migratory capacity as compared to parental cells confirming the highly invasive potential of the selected cell line.

Reconstructing the life of an unknown (ca. 500 years-old South American Inca) mummy--multidisciplinary study of a Peruvian Inca mummy suggests severe Chagas disease and ritual homicide.

The paleopathological, paleoradiological, histological, molecular and forensic investigation of a female mummy (radiocarbon dated 1451-1642 AD) provides circumstantial evidence for massive skull trauma affecting a young adult female individual shortly before death along with chronic infection by Trypanosoma cruzi (Chagas disease). The mummy (initially assumed to be a German bog body) was localized by stable isotope analysis to South America at/near the Peruvian/Northern Chilean coast line. This is further supported by New World camelid fibers attached to her plaits, typical Inca-type skull deformation and the type of Wormian bone at her occiput.

miR181b is induced by the chemopreventive polyphenol curcumin and inhibits breast cancer metastasis via down-regulation of the inflammatory cytokines CXCL1 and -2.

Chronic inflammation is a major risk factor for the development and metastatic progression of cancer. We have previously reported that the chemopreventive polyphenol Curcumin inhibits the expression of the proinflammatory cytokines CXCL1 and -2 leading to diminished formation of breast and prostate cancer metastases. In the present study, we have analyzed the effects of Curcumin on miRNA expression and its correlation to the anti-tumorigenic properties of this natural occurring polyphenol.

Density-dependent lineage instability of MDA-MB-435 breast cancer cells.

The use of cell lines in cancer research is strongly dependent on the avoidance of contaminations, the correct attribution of a cell line to the initial primary tumor and stability. Previous studies have identified expression of melanocytic molecular markers in the widely used breast cancer cell line, MDA-MB-435. In the present study the three breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7, MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-435, were systematically analyzed for mRNA and protein expression of major epithelial (cytokeratin isoforms), mammary (mammaglobin) and melanocytic (melan A and S100-protein) markers.

Curcumin inhibits prostate cancer metastasis in vivo by targeting the inflammatory cytokines CXCL1 and -2.

In America and Western Europe, prostate cancer is the second leading cause of death in men. Emerging evidence suggests that chronic inflammation is a major risk factor for the development and metastatic progression of prostate cancer. We previously reported that the chemopreventive polyphenol curcumin inhibits the expression of the proinflammatory cytokines CXCL1 and -2 leading to diminished formation of breast cancer metastases.

Development of resistance towards artesunate in MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in industrialized countries. Systemic treatment of breast cancer is effective at the beginning of therapy. However, after a variable period of time, progression occurs due to therapy resistance.

Reference profile correlation reveals estrogen-like trancriptional activity of Curcumin.

Background: Several secondary metabolites from herbal nutrient products act as weak estrogens (phytoestrogens), competing with endogenous estrogen for binding to the estrogen receptors and inhibiting steroid converting enzymes. However, it is still unclear whether these compounds elicit estrogen dependent transcription of genes at physiological concentrations.

Methods: We compare the effects of physiological concentrations (100 nM) of the two phytoestrogens Enterolactone and Quercetin and the suspected phytoestrogen Curcumin on gene expression in the breast cancer cell line MCF7 with the effects elicited by 17-beta-estradiol (E2).

Immunohistochemical identification of notochordal markers in cells in the aging human lumbar intervertebral disc.

The fate of notochord cells during disc development and aging is still a subject of debate. Cells with the typical notochordal morphology disappear from the disc within the first decade of life. However, the pure morphologic differentiation of notochordal from non-notochordal disc cells can be difficult, prompting the use of cellular markers.

Novel aspects for the application of Curcumin in chemoprevention of various cancers.

Chemoprevention of malignant tumor growth is a novel and potentially powerful approach for tumor therapy. Recent in vitro and in vivo investigations provide increasing evidence that naturally occurring substances may exhibit significant chemopreventive activities. To this regard, the spice Curcumin, widely used in Indian cuisine, has been identified to show considerable anti-tumor effects.

Overexpression of the ATP binding cassette gene ABCA1 determines resistance to Curcumin in M14 melanoma cells.

Background: Curcumin induces apoptosis in many cancer cells and it reduces xenograft growth and the formation of lung metastases in nude mice. Moreover, the plant derived polyphenol has been reported to be able to overcome drug resistance to classical chemotherapy. These features render the drug a promising candidate for tumor therapy especially for cancers known for their high rates concerning therapy resistance like melanoma.

CXCL12/SDF1 expression by breast cancers is an independent prognostic marker of disease-free and overall survival.

The cytokine C-X-C motif chemokine 12 (CXCL12) is synthesised by metastasis target tissues and has been shown to attract tumour cells that express the receptor, C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4). However, epigenetic silencing of CXCL12 has recently been reported to increase the metastatic potential of breast cancer cells and the reintroduction of the cytokine gene into MDA-MB-231 breast carcinoma cells decreases the number of metastases formed in vivo. We therefore wished to know whether CXCL12 expression correlates with relapse-free and overall survival in human breast cancer patients.

Matrix metalloproteinase expression levels suggest distinct enzyme roles during lumbar disc herniation and degeneration.

The disruption of the extracellular disc matrix is a major hallmark of disc degeneration. This has previously been shown to be associated with an up-regulation of major matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) expression and activity. However, until now hardly any data are available for MMP/TIMP regulation and thereby no concept exists as to which MMP/TIMP plays a major role in disc degeneration.