Ming-Ching Kao
China Medical University, Taiwan
Title: Growth inhibition of acute myeloid leukemia cells by Chinese herbal medicine Ganoderma tsugae via mitochondria/caspase activation pathway
Biography
Biography: Ming-Ching Kao
Abstract
Ganoderma (also called Lingzhi or Reishi) belongs to a Chinese Herbal Medicine (CHM) and has been widely used as a dietary supplement and for preventing or curing a wide variety of diseases including cancer in Asian countries. Ganoderma tsugae (GT), one of the major species of Lingzhi cultivated in Taiwan has been reported that GT Ethanol Extract (GTEE) has growth inhibition effects on human cancer cells, including breast cancer, ovarian cancer, colorectal cancer, epidermoid carcinoma, hepatoma and lung adenocarcinoma. However, little is known about the effects of GTEE on Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). The purpose of this study is to unravel the anti-leukemia effects of GTEE and their relevant molecular mechanisms. By using CCK-8 and trypan blue assays, we found that GTEE had potential growth inhibition effect on human leukemia THP-1 cells. Furthermore, GTEE induced human THP-1 cell apoptosis through the mitochondria/caspase activation pathway in a dose-dependent manner. Subsequently, GTEE may inhibit survival of human leukemia THP-1 cells via modulation of expression and activation of AKT pathway. Taken together, this study suggests that GTEE may be beneficial to human healthcare and be an adjuvant therapeutic agent for the treatment of human leukemia.