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In search of a natural chemotherapy
adjunct treatment to improve patients’
quality of life
Professor Kelvin Chan and Dr Valentina
Naumovski from the Centre for Complementary
Medicine Research and Dr Srinivas Nammi from
the School of Science and Health, together with
the industry partner PuraPharm Australia Pty.,
Ltd., have been awarded a UWS Research
Partnership grant to evaluate whether an
industrial extract of Yunzhi, a traditional
Chinese medicine widely used in cancer
treatment as a complementary therapy in the Far
East, interacts with chemotherapy drugs.
‘Cancer remains the greatest killer in Australia’ says
Professor Chan. ‘In Australia, cancer is still most
commonly managed by medics prescribing patients
a long term drug treatment plan. However, natural
product therapies including traditional Chinese
medicine are increasingly being used by people to
manage their conditions. This includes as an
adjunct support to provide relief from chemotherapy
by alleviating the side-effects and in particular its
destructive effect on the immune system.’
This project will use a rat model to evaluate whether
an industry extract of the Coriolus versicolor
mushroom interacts with chemotherapy drugs. The
data from this study will be used in the design of a
local clinical trial of the extract as an adjunct therapy
for cancer.
Professor Chan summarised that ‘The goal of the
collaborators is to lead the modernisation and
internationalisation of quality, safe and efficacious
traditional Chinese medicines that can be reliably
incorporated into integrative healthcare. The
development of an adjunct therapy which helps to
boost the immune system whilst maintaining the
action of the chemotherapy drugs makes a
contribution to those aims.
The potential outcomes would also provide
information on appropriate use and labelling of this
mushroom extract. The research may allow the
industry partner to obtain TGA approval and
accelerate the introduction of a new product for
Australian health.
Project Title: Pharmacological interactions of
extracts of Coriolus versicolor, Yunzhi and
chemotherapy medications
Funding has been set at: $25,000
Contact Details: [email protected]
www.uws.edu.au/complemed
January 2014