Combating Drug Resistance in Colorectal Cancer Using Herbal Medicines.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most prevalent and lethal cancer types around the world. Most of the CRC patients are treated with chemotherapeutic drugs alone or combined. However, up to 90% of metastatic cancer patients experience the failure of treatment mostly because of the acquired drug resistance, which can be led to multidrug resistance (MDR).

A survey of herbal medicines as tumor microenvironment-modulating agents.

The tumor microenvironment (TME) is extremely complex, involving extensive interactions among stromal cells, immune cells, and signaling molecules. Therefore, an approach targeting the TME has emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy. Herbal medicines consist of multiple active compounds, which have multi-target effects.

Recovery from hepatitis A after Korean medicine-based treatment : a case report.

Background: Many studies reported that Korean medicine (KM) is effective for treating liver disease, including hepatitis A. However, KM, specifically with herbal medicine (Chungganplus, CGP) has not been reported yet. We aimed to report a patient with hepatitis A who was treated with KM including CGP, acupuncture, and moxibustion for 12 days.

Successful treatment of refractory edema with traditional herbal medicine: A case report.

Rationale: Refractory edema is characterized by persistent swelling which does not react to diuretic use and sodium restriction. Traditional herbal medicine, Gwack Rhyung Tang and Chunggan extract effectively treated refractory lower limb edema caused by cirrhosis and improved liver function.

Patient Concerns: A 64-year-old male patient with a history of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hepatic encephalopathy, and cellulitis presented lower limb edema which did not react to diuretics for more than 7 months.

Overcoming P-Glycoprotein-Mediated Multidrug Resistance in Colorectal Cancer: Potential Reversal Agents among Herbal Medicines.

Objectives: Multidrug resistance (MDR) is the major reason for the failure of chemotherapy in colorectal cancer (CRC), and the primary determinant of MDR in CRC patients is active drug efflux owing to overexpression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) in cancer tissues. Despite research efforts to overcome P-gp-mediated drug efflux, the high toxicity of P-gp inhibitors has been a major obstacle for the clinical use of these agents. The aim of this study was to review the literature for potential P-gp reversal agents among traditional herbal medicines, which offer the advantages of safety and potential synergetic effects in CRC chemotherapy.