Chinese medicine and meritorious service？ Studies have found that artemisinin can kill cancer cells within 16 hours. Is it true？

Since Professor Tu Youyou won the Nobel Prize, artemisinin has come into the world’s sight, which is undoubtedly a great discovery of modern medicine, but it has also triggered a war of words about traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine.

A: Professor Tu Youyou won the Nobel Prize, which means that Chinese traditional medicine has finally been recognized internationally! Traditional Chinese medicine will no longer be criticized for its unknown active ingredients!

B: No, artemisinin is developed by modern pharmaceutical means. It is a product of modern medicine, not Chinese medicine. I think Chinese medicine is still "unscientific".

C: You are all wrong. In my opinion, artemisinin is the result of the combination of traditional Chinese and western medicine, and we should vigorously advocate the combination of traditional Chinese and western medicine.

……

Is the magical artemisinin Chinese medicine or western medicine?

In life, many people will put western medicine and Chinese medicine in opposition, just like artemisinin successfully extracted by Professor Tu Youyou. Is its attribute Chinese medicine or western medicine?

In this regard, distinguished professor Kong Lingyi, vice president of China Pharmaceutical University and the Ministry of Education, said: Artemisinin used in clinic is mainly its derivatives, which are chemical drugs rather than traditional Chinese medicine.

However, artemisinin is a pure compound extracted from Artemisia annua by Professor Tu Youyou’s team. According to the current evaluation method of western medicine in China, the natural compounds extracted from traditional Chinese medicine can be regarded as new Chinese medicine or new chemical medicine, which actually makes sense.

To put it simply, artemisinin, a pure compound extracted from Artemisia annua, can belong to both traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine. However, the derivatives of artemisinin are no longer pure compounds, and the results are modified by chemical reactions, so they belong to the category of chemical drugs, that is, western medicine.

University of Washington research:

Artemisinin can kill cancer cells within 16 hours, true or false?

Professor Tu Youyou is a great scientist of traditional Chinese medicine in China. Artemisinin developed by him is another specific antimalarial drug after quinine. However, in recent years, scientists have found that artemisinin has anti-cancer effect, or it can completely change the treatment of cancer, which has aroused social concern.

The anti-cancer research of artemisinin comes from Professor Lai Henry and assistant professor Narendra Xing of the Department of Bioengineering, Washington University, USA. The research began in 1995. In many studies, it was found that after 16 hours of contact with artemisinin, all breast cancer cells in the test tube were killed, while the healthy cells in contact with artemisinin remained alive.

Researchers believe that artemisinin is lethal to leukemia, pancreatic cancer and breast cancer cells, but has no toxic effect on normal tissues.

At present, artemisinin is really hot, and "artemisinin health products" are also selling well. It should be noted that artemisinin can not be used as an anticancer health care product for the time being. Although artemisinin has certain anticancer effect, its mechanism of action is still very complicated. Professor Tu Youyou also stressed that artemisinin has not reached the clinical stage of cancer treatment, and it also needs the approval of the health department before it can be sold in medicine. Moreover, the research on the side effects of artemisinin is still immature, and it is not recommended that you blindly take artemisinin health care products.

Pharmacist reminds:

Three principles should be kept in mind when using traditional Chinese medicine to fight cancer.

Traditional Chinese medicine can not only cure diseases, but also nourish food, so many people think that traditional Chinese medicine can not be eaten badly, such as ginseng, astragalus and other Chinese herbal medicines, and it is also the first choice for many people to make tea. However, Gao Yanjing, the pharmacist in charge of the Department of Pharmacy of beijing ditan hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University, would like to remind everyone that medicine is toxic in three ways. When using traditional Chinese medicine, we should pay special attention to the following three principles.

1. A good prescription of Chinese medicine is not suitable for everyone.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has different constitutions for the human body, and there are also great differences among individuals, so TCM prescriptions should be symptomatic and right for people. Maybe a certain prescription is effective, but it is not recommended for patients to try it blindly, or it is counterproductive because of physical discomfort.

2. The elderly should be careful when using drugs.

Most elderly people have certain basic diseases. It is unscientific to blindly use traditional Chinese medicine for tonic. In serious cases, it will even aggravate the primary disease, which is not good for health.

3. Stop the middle illness.

When a prescription is effective in treating a certain disease, it should be stopped in time. Traditional Chinese medicine pays attention to dosage. If the dosage is too large, it is likely to have certain toxic and side effects. For example, licorice can regulate various drugs, but it will hurt the spleen and stomach if used for a long time. Rhubarb is a commonly used Chinese medicine, which can cause stomach pain, diarrhea and other discomfort.

extend

Three kinds of traditional Chinese medicines have been removed from the National Pharmacopoeia.

It is nephrotoxic and carcinogenic

In the 2020 edition of China Pharmacopoeia, four varieties, namely, Aristolochia, Pangolin, Huanglian Yanggan Pill and Xianteng, were not included. The reason is that Aristolochia and Sinomenium have certain nephrotoxicity. Pangolin is a first-class protected wild animal in China; Huanglian Yanggan Pill contains bat excrement noctilucent sand.

However, in the National Pharmacopoeia revised in 2005, three varieties of Akebia manshuriensis, Radix Aristolochiae and Radix Stephaniae Tetrandrae were banned because of their high concentration of aristolochic acid. Ye Zuguang, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, said that other Chinese medicines containing aristolochic acid should be managed according to prescription drugs, and their contents should be strictly controlled.

Before artemisinin was discovered, malaria killed millions of people. The artemisinin extracted from Artemisia annua by Professor Tu Youyou, like a timely rain, eliminated malaria and saved countless lives, and also promoted the sales of artemisinin health care products.

It is suggested that you should not blindly use health care products and traditional Chinese medicine. These drugs actually have certain toxic and side effects, and wrong use will only bring about adverse effects. If you are unwell, it is the best choice to seek medical treatment in time.

References:

[1] "Great discovery: artemisinin can resist cancer, or completely change the treatment of cancer". China Journal of Community Physicians .2016-01-27.

[2] Stop arguing, artemisinin is both Chinese medicine and western medicine. Science and Technology Daily .2015-10-09

[3] "5 kinds of common Chinese medicines will harm the body? Pharmacists tell three truths about Chinese medicine. Life Times. 2018-07-25.

Original title: "Chinese medicine has made meritorious deeds? Studies have found that artemisinin can kill cancer cells within 16 hours. Is it true? 》

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