The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point
  • About this web log

    This blog ran from 2006 to 2016 and was intended as an objective and dispassionate source of information on the latest CAM research. Since my background is in pharmacy and allopathic medicine, I view all CAM as advancing through the development pipeline to eventually become integrated into mainstream medical practice. Some will succeed while others fail. But all are treated fairly here.

  • About the author

    John Russo, Jr., PharmD, is president of The MedCom Resource, Inc. Previously, he was senior vice president of medical communications at www.Vicus.com, a complementary and alternative medicine website.

  • Common sense considerations

    The material on this weblog is for informational purposes. It is not medical advice or counsel. Be smart, consult your health professional before using CAM.

  • Recent Posts

  • Recent Comments

    Update on graviola

    Soursops (aka graviola; Annona muricata) are aromatic fruits with white juicy flesh that are native to tropical North and South America. More than a decade ago researchers from Purdue University isolated 5 active components of graviola and found they were toxic to cancer cells.

    What’s happened since then?

    The 5 active fractions from the leaves.

    • Annopentocin A 1 was toxic to pancreatic cancer cells.
    • Annopentocins 2 and 3 were toxic to lung cancer cells.
    • Trans-annomuricin-D-ones 4 and 5 were toxic for the lung, colon, and pancreatic cells.
    • Potencies equaled or exceeded the cancer drug doxorubicin (Adriamycin).

    Temper your enthusiasm. Although it’s available to buy, there have been no studies in humans to support graviola’s value to treat cancer. And one report raised questions about its potential to contribute to the development of atypical parkinsonism among people in Guadeloupe.

    8/3/07 12:15 JR

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