Cancer Therapy Vol 7, 397-401, 2009

2009: Lissoni P; Fumagalli L; Brivio F; Rovelli F; Messina G; Di Fede G; Colciago M; Brera G
Division of Radiation Oncology, Milan, Italy

Biotherapy with the pineal hormone melatonin plus aloe and myrrh tincture in untreatable metastatic cancer patients as an essence therapy of cancer

Research Article

P. Lissoni1,*, F. Rovelli1, G. Messina2, F. Brivio3, B. Boniardi1, G. Porro1, L.Vigore4, G. Di Fede1, P. Marchiori1, G. Brera5

1 Institute of Biological Medicine, Milan, Italy
2 Psychiatric Division, Policlinico Hospital, Milan
3 Division of Surgery, Bassini Hospital, Cinisello,Milan;
4 Laboratory of Immunomicrobiology,San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Milan;
5 Ambrosian University, Milan, Italy.

*Correspondence: Dr. Paolo Lissoni, Divisione di Radioterapia Oncologica, Ospedale S. Gerardo, 20052 Monza, Milano, Italia. Fax: +390392332284, e-mail: p.lissoni@hsgerardo.org
Key words: Aloe Vera, Melatonin, Mirrh, and Anticancer Immunity
Abbreviations: Melatonin (MLT), complete response (CR), partial response (PR), stable disease (SD), disease control (DC), progressive disease (PD), T helper lymphocytes (TH, CD4+), T regulatory lymphocytes (T reg, CD4+ CD25+)

Received: 30 July 2009; Revised: 18 October 2009
Accepted: 20 October 2009; electronically published: December 2009

Summary

Background: The recent advances in understanding the immunobiological interactions responsible for cancer progression have allowed us to define the mechanisms of action of some plants, whose antitumor properties were already known by the popular Medicine, in particular Aloe and Myrrha, whose mixture was already therapeutically utilized more than 2000 years ago by the Essence medicine. Moreover, some endogenous natural substances, namely the main hormone produced by the pineal gland melatonin (MLT) may also play anticancer activity. On this basis, a study was performed with a biological regimen consisting of MLT, Aloe and Myrrha in untreatable metastatic cancer patients with life expectancy lower than 1 year. Methods: The study included 35 patients. MLT was given orally at 20 mg/day in the evening and a mixed Aloe and Myrrha tincture was administered at a dose of 5 ml/thrice daily. Results: The clinical response consisted of complete response (CR) in 1, partial response (PR) in 2, stable disease (SD) in 19 patients, whereas the remaining 13 patients had a progressive disease (PD). Thus, a disease control (CR + PR + SD) was achieved in 22/35 (63%)patients. Moreover, a survival longer than 1 year was achieved in 17/35 (49%) patients. Finally, DC was associated with an evident improvement in the immune status, namely consisting of a decrease in the number of T regulatory lymphocytes, which are the main cells responsible for the suppression of the anticancer immunity. Conclusion: This preliminary study shows that a biological anticancer regimen consisting of the pineal hormone MLT in association with Aloe and Myrrha mixture, already known at the times of the Essence medical tradition, may induce a control of the neoplastic disease by stimulating the anticancer immunity, in a relevant percentage metastatic cancer patients, who did not respond to the conventional anticancer treatments and for whom no other standard therapy was available.

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