Tree bark extract holds promise for bladder, kidney cancer patients

Two new studies have shown that botanical extract honokiol, a biologically active molecule isolated from the bark of Magnolia spp., holds promise as an adjunct treatment for aggressive bladder and kidney cancers.

The principle investigator Jun Yan stated that the preclinical in vivo study 'Honokiol inhibits bladder tumor growth by suppressing EZH2/miRNA-143 axis' demonstrated that honokiol significantly inhibited bladder cancer aggressiveness and tumor progression, adding to the large body of anti-cancer data on this botanical extract.

Yan added that the inhibition of bladder cancer stemness can effectively support against cancer relapse and metastasis, making honokiol an important adjuvant in the prevention and treatment of aggressive bladder cancer, as well as other cancers.

Results from the preclinical in vitro study on honokiol and renal cancer cell metastasis, 'Honokiol suppresses metastasis of renal cell carcinoma by targeting KISS1/KISS1R signaling,' published in the International Journal of Oncology, showed honokiol suppressed metastasis in aggressive renal cell carcinoma (RCC), in a dose-dependent manner.

Specifically, researchers found that honokiol markedly upregulated the metastasis-suppressor gene (KISS1) and its receptor (KISS1R), in the highly metastatic renal cancer cell line, 786-0. This is critical, since 25-30 percent of patients with RCC have metastatic spread by the time they are diagnosed, with 5-year survival rates less than 10 percent.

Isaac Eliaz, one of the lead investigators involved in this study, said that given honokiol's diverse mechanisms against cancer, including synergy with certain chemotherapy drugs and inhibition of multi-drug resistance, progression to clinical trials is urgently needed to explore this unique compound as a viable adjunct treatment against multiple types of cancer.