Cancer
Cancer is a complex disorder resulting from mutations in different genes that can lead to abnormal cell growth and development.
It can affect any part of the body and can cause complex symptoms. Cancer can be benign or malignant and the affected cells have many hallmarks that differentiate them from normal cells.
The diagnosis of cancer is usually difficult and is diagnosed at the advanced stages when it becomes difficult to treat the patient and kill the cancerous cells. The cells at that stage often develop resistance against the treatments available at this stage.
Due to the above-mentioned reasons, the number of cancer patients is increasing day by day. But in the same way, scientific research is paving the way for treatments as well.
In 2020, around 10 million deaths are caused by cancer worldwide. And the number is continuously increasing throughout the world every year.
The same is the case in India. Many patients are diagnosed at the last stages of the disease and die because of not getting proper treatment. So, the need of the hour is to find scientific ways to treat this complex disorder.
Here is the list of the most common cancer types that are affecting individuals worldwide.
Breast cancer (about 2.26 million cases reported in a year)
Lung
Colon
Prostate
Rectum
Skin
Stomach
While most cancer deaths result from stomach cancer.
3-Acetyl-11-beta-Boswellic Acid (AKBA)
AKBA is a natural product obtained from Boswellia species. These species are native to India, the Middle East, and North Africa.
The extract obtained from them is used for multiple purposes for a long, especially for curing inflammatory diseases such as arthritis and cancer as the AKBA compound contains active ingredients that play a role during the process.
Role of AKBA in treating cancers
AKBA, as an active compound, plays a role in treating multiple disorders including almost all types of cancers. it inhibits the proliferation of malignant cells and plays role in inducing apoptosis.
It does so by altering different signaling mechanisms in the cancer cells that are modified as compared to the normal body cells.
The role of AKBA has been studied in all cancer types and different trials have been performed on humans to check the effectiveness of the compound in this regard [2].
AKBA has many active ingredients that kill malignant cells. When used for the treatment of cancer, some active ingredients are also added from external that help increases the bioavailability of this compound such as sunflower lecithin and piperine.
Mechanism of action of AKBA in treating Cancer
Many different It has been found that this compound can kill malignant cells by affecting different signal transduction pathways in the cancer cells [3].
It can arrest the cell cycle at G0/G1 stage and inhibits the division of malignant cells so that they cannot metastasize anymore and spread to the neighboring tissues. Experiments performed on different cancer cell lines in the laboratory, and their comparison with the normal cell lines showed growth arrest in the cancer cells by use of AKBA.
Similarly, experiments have confirmed that some cell cycle proteins are also inhibited by the use of AKBA in cancer cells. Proteins, such as p-cdc2 and cyclin E1 are inhibited by this compound that also result in cell cycle inhibition. So that cancer cells cannot proliferate any further.
It has also been found that AKBA can stimulate the expression of proteins that negatively regulate the cell cycle. The expression of proteins, P21 and P27 is highly stimulated by AKBA, resulting in reduced division of malignant cells, as the expression of cell cycle proteins is reduced indirectly [4].
Experiments have shown that AKBA also plays role in inducing an apoptotic process in the malignant cells so that these are killed. When the expression of proteins related to apoptosis was checked in the malignant cells treated with AKBA, it was found that the levels of pro-apoptotic proteins were highly increased such as Bax and Bak. However, the expressions of anti-apoptotic proteins were decreased such as BCl2. This shows that ABKA can kill malignant cells by inducing programmed cell death.
It is also found that ABKA can downregulate many important pathways in the malignant cells that stimulate the proliferation of these cells. The expression of proteins for the NFK-beta pathway was highly reduced leading to decreased cellular proliferation in cancer cells.
Active Ingredients of AKBA
Lecithin
Lecithin is one of the most common ingredients used in supplements which was found to be more effective and safer than other compounds.
Mostly lecithin was isolated from soybean in the market but lecithin from sunflower was found safer and more effective as it increases the bioavailability of the drug and poses no adverse reaction to the immune system.
In other studies, it was found effective in reducing the number of cancer cells in patients with breast cancer [6].
Moreover, lecithin encapsulated an anticancer drug that was successfully tested against cancer [7].
In a single-dose, randomized, open-label research, it was shown that formulating AKBA and BA with lecithin enhanced the absorption and tissue penetration of BA [8]
Piperine
Piperine's chemopreventive mechanism includes the ability to regulate cell cycle progression.
Piperine inhibits the cell cycle and regulates cell cycle checkpoints such as cyclin-dependent kinases and cyclins as reported in many human triple-negative breast cancer cell lines [9].
There is only 1 active clinical trial ongoing on piperine in which participants were recruited in phase 1 clinical trials. The aim is to target and reduce inflammation in patients with ureteral cancer using a combination of curcumin and piperine.
The results are not published yet, but recent studies on invitro and in vivo models showed compromising results [10].
In a more recent clinical trial phase, 2 is recruiting participants for prostate cancer patients where prostate cancer will be targeted by curcumin and piperine combination [11].
Clinical Trials Data
Many gene alterations as well as environmental variables contribute to the development of cancer. Radiation, chemotherapy, and an integrated strategy combining monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies are just a few of the treatments used to treat cancer [12].
In today's worldwide trend, herbal medicines and products are becoming increasingly well-known and widely used, especially in western nations. This is because there is a lot of study being done on ayurveda and herbal goods. These botanicals offer therapeutic promise for a variety of human ailments, according to scientists.
One of these miracles is our finished product, AKBA, which has been supported by clinical data. We have scientific evidence that our product effectively treats cancer.
Several human clinical trials as well as in vitro, in vivo, and animal research have shown the benefits of employing AKBA in the treatment of various malignancies.
Patients will benefit since it kills cancer cells more effectively than other herbal remedies and conventional medicines.
Numerous clinical trials (phases 1 and 2) have revealed great safety and tolerance with components used in Purobest AKBA for the effective treatment of different cancer types, as well as optimistic indicators.
Anti-cancerous properties of AKBA in Lung Cancer
The anti-cancerous properties of AKBA were found to be effective in lung cancer by altering autophagy and cell death mechanisms [13].
Preclinical investigations have demonstrated the anti-inflammatory properties of the BAs; several human clinical trials have also supported these pharmacological properties.
The majority of research uses either a combination of BAs or a single chemical, such as AKBA. Most research on arthritis care analyses the bioactives' anti-inflammatory properties.
Curcumin (350 mg) and BA (150 mg) were combined for a 12-week research period in a double-blind clinical study with 201 patients.
The results revealed a substantial improvement. WOMAC scores, osteoarthritis physical function, and determining the severity of the illness were used to evaluate the study's result. Results from the primary trial showed a considerable improvement, indicating that boswellic acids had an anti-inflammatory mechanism.
Role in Pancreatic Cancer
One of the most bioactive isomers of BA, AKBA, has been the focus of various clinical investigations because of its potent anti-inflammatory properties. In a mice model, boswellic acid was found to be effective in reducing inflammation and metastasis of pancreatic cancer [14].
Anti-cancerous properties of AKBA in Breast Cancer
Another experiment performed on breast cancer patients also confirms the safety and effectiveness of this precious compound.
It has been observed that the patients treated with this product get relief from cancer in the best possible way.
Further, in vitro and in vivo experiments have confirmed that AKBA induces apoptosis and reduces cell proliferation in breast cancer cells by altering several modified signal transduction pathways in these cells [15]
Significance of AKBA
It is one of the most crucial and often used ingredients in traditional Ayurveda and Unani medications, which have shown to be incredibly efficient in treating a wide range of inflammatory, gastrointestinal, hormonal, and microbiological disorders.
The traditional medication is believed to have qualities similar to those of an expectorant, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, analgesic, and tranquilizing medication.
It has demonstrated significant promise in the prevention of inflammatory disorders such as cancer, chronic diseases, arthritis, asthma, and cerebral edema, according to several preclinical and clinical investigations
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