Artemisia annua und Artesunate in der Onkologie

Summary

Artesunate ist ein klinisch etabliertes Medikament zur Malariabehandlung. Präklinische Daten weisen darauf hin, dass Artesunate und Artemisinin, die Leitsubstanz aus der chinesischen Heilpflanze Artemisia annua L., auch gegen Krebs eingesetzt werden könnten.

Im Allgemeinen wurden Artemisinin und Artesunate nach den bisher vorliegenden klinischen Befunden gut vertragen, wobei vereinzelt immer wieder auch signifikante Nebenwirkungen wie Hämatotoxizität, Hepatotoxizität oder Neurotoxizität auftraten. Auf das Vorkommen schwerer Nebenwirkungen muss auch weiterhin besonderes Augenmerk gelegt werden, insbesondere wenn Artesunate zusammen mit anderen Medikamenten verabreicht wird.

Die veterinärmedizinischen Studien zeigen, dass spontane Tiertumoren nicht nur ein interessantes Modell für in der Translation präklinischer Daten in die Klinik sind, sondern dass Artesunate- und Artemisia-annua-Präparate eine neue Behandlungsoption für Haustiere mit Tumorerkrankungen darstellen könnten.

Die Wirksamkeit von Artesunate gegen verschiedene solide humane Tumoren ist bisher als eher mäßig einzustufen, wobei das Zervixkarzinom möglicherweise besser anzusprechen scheint. Insgesamt liegen noch zu wenige Daten vor, um die klinischen Ansprechraten bei verschiedenen Tumortypen zuverlässig beantworten zu können. Weitere größere klinische Phase-II- und -III-Studien sind nötig.

Keywords

Chemotherapie - Molekulare Pharmakologie - Naturstoffe - Rationale Phytotherapie - Sesquiterpenoide - Traditionelle Chinesische Medizin

Publication History

Article published online:
12 December 2023

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