In Vivo. 1996 Mar-Apr; 10(2): 201-9.

Naturin: a potent bio-immunomodifier in experimental studies and clinical trials.

Shen RN, Lu L, Jia XQ, Wong ML, Kaiser HE.

Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis 16202-5121, USA.

A number of traditional Chinese medicinal herbs have become extremely interesting in the search for potential BRMs in the international medical community, especially in the United States and Japan. Naturin, a new Chinese medical herb produced by XingYa Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., has enhanced immune response, inhibited tumor metastases and retroviral infection in animal models as well as in clinical studies. The results demonstrated that the inhibition of Natural Killer (NK) and Lymphokine-activated Killer (LAK) cell activity and lymphocyte proliferation was compromised by tumor metastases and retrovirus infection (Murine AIDS), even immunosuppression induced by surgical amputation can be restored by Naturin. It is also shown that Naturin can protect the mice from lethal total body irradiation. These studies indicated that Naturin possesses immunomodulatory effects in vivo for a broad range of stresses. The results of the clinical studies on Naturin have demonstrated: (a) significantly improved symptoms of patients, including MDS, acute and chronic leukemia, aplastic anemia, lung cancer, and association with the increased number and percentage of CD4 (Helper T-cell) which have been reduced in some patients, (b) Lymphocyte proliferation and NK cell activity which were suppressed in cancer patients can be significantly restored by Naturin treatment, (c) the addition of Naturin treatment to patients receiving radiotherapy and chemotherapy augments immune response and reduces radiation and chemotherapy injury, and (d) no cytotoxic side effects were found in patients given Naturin treatment for up to eight months.