Acute
myeloid leukemia (AML) is a group of hematological malignancies defined
by expanded clonal populations of immature progenitors (blasts) of
myeloid phenotype in blood and bone marrow. Given a typical poor
prognostic outlook, there is great need for novel agents with anti-AML
activity. Devil’s club (Oplopanax
horridus) is one of the most significant medicinal plants used among
the indigenous people of Southeast Alaska and the coastal Pacific
Northwest, with different linguistic groups utilizing various parts of
the plant to treat many different conditions including cancer. Studies
identifying medically relevant components in Devil’s club
are limited. For this research study, samples were extracted in 70%
ethanol before in vitro analysis, to assess effects on AML cell line
viability as well as to study regulation of tyrosine phosphorylation and
cysteine oxidation. The root extract displayed better in vitro anti-AML
efficacy in addition to a noted anti-tyrosine kinase activity
independent of an antioxidant effect. In vivo therapeutic studies using
an immunocompetent murine model of AML further demonstrated that Devil’s
club root
extract improved the murine survival while decreasing immunosuppressive
regulatory T cells and improving CD8+ T-cell functionality. This study
defines for the first time an anti-AML efficacy for extracts of Devil’s club.
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
