Ye Gu Herb (Aeginetia Indica) Found To Have Anti-Cancer Benefits in Kidney/Renal Cancer Disease

Many Chinese herbs and herbal formulas are used and studied in the treatment of various cancers.  Some are used alongside western treatments and others have similar anti-cancer properties without the cost and side effects of western drugs.  Researchers from the institute of biochemistry and molecular biology at National Taiwan University recently conducted a study evaluating the anti-cancer properties of Ye Gu (aegentia indica) on renal cancer.

Renal Cancer (renal cell carcinoma "RCC") accounts for approximately 90% of all renal maligancies and current western treatments have a relatively low success rate.  Metastasis is a significant issue with renal cancer and avoiding this spreading is an important part of treatment.  Many medicinal herbs have shown to have anti-cancer properties and one of these herbs is Ye Gu, Aeginetia indica Linn. (“Guan-Jen-Huang”, GJH) which is a root parasitic plant often used to treat chronic liver diseases, cough, and arthritis. 

Analysis of a seed extract of GJH found potent anti-tumour activity.  Researchers within this study found that a water based extract inhibited tumor growth and metastasis. 

While this was "merely" a laboratory study, researchers were hopeful that when properly applied in a balanced Chinese Herbal formula that human treatments could be initiated and studied.