Effect of the Botanical Compound LCS101 on Cytotoxicity of Chemotherapy

Abstract

Many oncology patients report using botanicals while undergoing chemotherapy. There are relatively few studies on the interactions between “natural” products and chemotherapy agents, with implications regarding safety and efficacy of the conventional treatment. LCS101 is a botanical formula which has been shown to reduce the incidence of severe anemia and neutropenia, as well adverse events resulting from chemotherapy regimens for breast cancer. The formula has also been shown to increase the anti-cancer effects of doxorubicin and fluorouracil (5-FU) on breast cancer cell lines, while protecting non-tumorigenic breast cells from cell death. The present study set out to further examine the effects of LCS101 on chemotherapy, this time with gemcitabine, cisplatin, paclitaxel and etoposide. For this purpose, lung (A549), breast (MCF7), pancreatic (PANC-1) and bladder (T24) cancer cell lines were exposed to incremental concentrations of each of the four chemotherapy agents, with and without the addition of fixed dose of LCS101. A sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay was used to assess cell viability. The addition of the botanical formula was found to significantly augment the cytotoxic effects of each of the chemotherapy agents, this in all four cancer cell lines. These findings further support those of previous research on potential interactions between LCS101 with chemotherapy. Additional research is underway to examine the implications of this and other botanical formulas as an adjunct to conventional oncology treatments.