Cancer Medicine Extracted from Ginseng

Immunity enhancing substance with a strong anti-cancer effect has been found in the leaf of ginseng, not the root.

Professor Cheon Joon at Korea University Anam Hospital and Professor Se-ho Park from Korea University Life-engineering Center clarified on June 3 that they have confirmed the strong anti-cancer fighting effects of `MB-40`, a Polysaccharide extracted from ginseng leaf through animal experiments.

There were some cases in which immunity enhancing substances were found in the ginseng root, but this is the first time when strong immunity enhancing substance was found in the leaf. A venture company succeeded in the extraction, and the two professors supported proof of its medical efficacy.

According to the research team, two experiments were conducted. They were `Parenchyma cell examination` which checked features of the cell after shooting a laser in a MB-40 injected mouse, and the `dyeing test within the cell`. As a result of the testing, immunity cells including T cell, macrophage, dentritic cells, CD4, CD8, B cell showed activation up to 13 times higher than ordinary mice.

The research team injected cancer cells into the mice, then MB-40 to find out that the tumor`s size reduced to 62-73%.

Professor Cheon said, “MB-40 does not kill the cancer cell itself, but activates the immunity cells for an anticancer effect,“ and added that “it showed efficacy towards prostate gland cancer, large intestine cancer, breeding, melanoma, etc.”

The research team also found out that an MB-40 injection to a cancer-suffering mouse that was undergoing anticancer medicine and radioactive ray treatment increased the number of bone-marrow cell and reduced the effects of cancer. Existing anticancer drugs and radioactive ray treatment showed side effects for reducing the number of bone-marrow cells that has immunity and hematopoiesis functions, and now MB-40 showed a higher possibility to be used as supplementary medicine without the side effects.

Professor Cheon said that all ginseng substances so far were developed as health food, but MB-40 will become an anticancer injection medicine to undergo clinical demonstration with humans as the subject. He also added that this would contribute to increasing farm household profit since they have thus thrown away the leaves.

MB-40 is now patent pending, and the research team will report its results at `The 29th Korea Society of Cancer Research Meeting.`

Seong-Ju Lee stein33@donga.com