Dandelion root and lemongrass extracts induce apoptosis, enhance chemotherapeutic efficacy, and reduce tumour xenograft growth in vivo in prostate cancer
Standing
Undergraduate
Type of Proposal
Oral Presentation
Faculty
Faculty of Science
Proposal
Dandelion root and lemongrass extracts induce apoptosis, enhance chemotherapeutic efficacy, and reduce tumour xenograft growth in vivo in prostate cancer Christopher Nguyen1, Ali Mehaidli1, Kiruthika Baskaran1, Sahibjot Grewal1, Alaina Pupulin1, Ivan Ruvinov1, Benjamin Scaria1, Krishan Parashar1, Caleb Vegh1, Siyaram Pandey1* 1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario N9B 3P4, Canada Many conventional chemotherapies have indicated side effects due to a lack of treatment specificity and are thus not suitable for long-term usage. Natural health products are well-tolerated and safe for consumption, and some have pharmaceutical uses particularly for their anti-cancer effects. The anti-cancer efficacy of dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) root and lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) extracts on prostate cancer and their interactions with standard chemotherapeutics has not been studied to determine if they will be suitable for adjuvant therapies. If successful, these extracts could potentially be used in conjunction with chemotherapeutics to minimize the risk of drug-related toxicity and enhance the efficacy of the treatment. We have demonstrated that both dandelion root extract (DRE) and lemongrass extract (LGE) exhibit selective anti-cancer activity. Importantly, DRE and LGE addition to the chemotherapeutics taxol and mitoxantrone was determined to enhance the induction of apoptosis when compared to individual chemotherapy treatment alone. Further, DRE and LGE were able to significantly reduce the tumour burden in prostate cancer xenograft models when administered orally, while also being well-tolerated. Thus, the implementation of these well-tolerated extracts in adjuvant therapies could be a selective and efficacious approach to prostate cancer treatment.
Location
Windsor
Grand Challenges
Viable, Healthy and Safe Communities
Special Considerations
I have worked on the experimentation portion of this project, as well as the animal trials.
Dandelion root and lemongrass extracts induce apoptosis, enhance chemotherapeutic efficacy, and reduce tumour xenograft growth in vivo in prostate cancer
Windsor
Dandelion root and lemongrass extracts induce apoptosis, enhance chemotherapeutic efficacy, and reduce tumour xenograft growth in vivo in prostate cancer Christopher Nguyen1, Ali Mehaidli1, Kiruthika Baskaran1, Sahibjot Grewal1, Alaina Pupulin1, Ivan Ruvinov1, Benjamin Scaria1, Krishan Parashar1, Caleb Vegh1, Siyaram Pandey1* 1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario N9B 3P4, Canada Many conventional chemotherapies have indicated side effects due to a lack of treatment specificity and are thus not suitable for long-term usage. Natural health products are well-tolerated and safe for consumption, and some have pharmaceutical uses particularly for their anti-cancer effects. The anti-cancer efficacy of dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) root and lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) extracts on prostate cancer and their interactions with standard chemotherapeutics has not been studied to determine if they will be suitable for adjuvant therapies. If successful, these extracts could potentially be used in conjunction with chemotherapeutics to minimize the risk of drug-related toxicity and enhance the efficacy of the treatment. We have demonstrated that both dandelion root extract (DRE) and lemongrass extract (LGE) exhibit selective anti-cancer activity. Importantly, DRE and LGE addition to the chemotherapeutics taxol and mitoxantrone was determined to enhance the induction of apoptosis when compared to individual chemotherapy treatment alone. Further, DRE and LGE were able to significantly reduce the tumour burden in prostate cancer xenograft models when administered orally, while also being well-tolerated. Thus, the implementation of these well-tolerated extracts in adjuvant therapies could be a selective and efficacious approach to prostate cancer treatment.