Therapeutic effect of Northern Labrador tea extracts for acute myeloid leukemia
Colin M. McGill
Department of Chemistry, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, AK, 99508 USA
Search for more papers by this authorPatrick L. Tomco
Department of Chemistry, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, AK, 99508 USA
Search for more papers by this authorRegina M. Ondrasik
Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, 17033 USA
Search for more papers by this authorKaitlyn C. Belknap
Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, 03824 USA
Search for more papers by this authorGaelen K. Dwyer
Department of Chemistry, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, AK, 99508 USA
Search for more papers by this authorDaniel J. Quinlan
Department of Chemistry, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, AK, 99508 USA
Search for more papers by this authorThomas A. Kircher
Department of Chemistry, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, AK, 99508 USA
Search for more papers by this authorCheryl P. Andam
Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, 03824 USA
Search for more papers by this authorTimothy J. Brown
Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, 17033 USA
Search for more papers by this authorDavid F. Claxton
Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, 17033 USA
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Brian M. Barth
Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, 17033 USA
Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, 03824 USA
Correspondence
Brian M. Barth, PhD, Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, 46 College Road, Durham, NH 03824, USA.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorColin M. McGill
Department of Chemistry, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, AK, 99508 USA
Search for more papers by this authorPatrick L. Tomco
Department of Chemistry, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, AK, 99508 USA
Search for more papers by this authorRegina M. Ondrasik
Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, 17033 USA
Search for more papers by this authorKaitlyn C. Belknap
Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, 03824 USA
Search for more papers by this authorGaelen K. Dwyer
Department of Chemistry, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, AK, 99508 USA
Search for more papers by this authorDaniel J. Quinlan
Department of Chemistry, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, AK, 99508 USA
Search for more papers by this authorThomas A. Kircher
Department of Chemistry, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, AK, 99508 USA
Search for more papers by this authorCheryl P. Andam
Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, 03824 USA
Search for more papers by this authorTimothy J. Brown
Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, 17033 USA
Search for more papers by this authorDavid F. Claxton
Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, 17033 USA
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Brian M. Barth
Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, 17033 USA
Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, 03824 USA
Correspondence
Brian M. Barth, PhD, Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, 46 College Road, Durham, NH 03824, USA.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive hematological malignancy that is one of the more common pediatric malignancies in addition to occurring with high incidence in the aging population. Unfortunately, these patient groups are quite sensitive to toxicity from chemotherapy. Northern Labrador tea, or Rhododendron tomentosum Harmaja (a.k.a. Ledum palustre subsp. decumbens) or “tundra tea,” is a noteworthy medicinal plant used by indigenous peoples in Alaska, Canada, and Greenland to treat a diversity of ailments. However, laboratory investigations of Northern Labrador tea, and other Labrador tea family members, as botanical sources for anticancer compounds have been limited. Utilizing an AML cell line in both in vitro and in vivo studies, as well as in vitro studies using primary human AML patient samples, this study demonstrated for the first time that Northern Labrador tea extracts can exert anti-AML activity and that this may be attributed to ursolic acid as a constituent component. Therefore, this medicinal herb holds the potential to serve as a source for further drug discovery efforts to isolate novel anti-AML compounds.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors have conflicts of interest to declare.
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