Melanoma Cells: Ruta Limits Growth and Spread

Highlights

• Ruta graveolens in a 9C potency appears to hinder the growth and restrict the spread of melanoma.
• Ruta, also known by its common names of rue or herb-of-grace, is grown in many gardens as an ornamental plant.
• As a homeopathic remedy, Ruta is used for joint and connective tissue problems but recent research indicates that in a 9C potency it may also improve patient survival by hindering the growth and spread of melanoma cells.
• This remarkable effect was demonstrated in living cells (in vivo) and in triplicate within the laboratory plates and tubes (in vitro).
• Melanoma is an aggressive form of cancer that grows rapidly and spreads quickly. While it only makes up 4% of skin cancers it causes 80% of deaths.
• Melanoma continues to evade conventional anti-melanoma treatments while the severe adverse events from those treatments often cause patients to stop them.
• An innovative approach to melanoma treatment that hinders cellular growth and spread while avoiding side-effects would likely improve patient tolerance to therapy and improve quality of life.
• Ruta graveolens in homeopathic potencies may do that.

Homeopathic Ruta graveolens (Ruta.) may be a useful complementary treatment for melanoma.

Authors

Camille Fuselier, Eleonore Dufay, Alexandre Berquand, Christine Terryn, Arnaud Bonnomet, Michael Molinari, Laurent Martiny, and Christophe Schneider.

Abstract

Cutaneous melanoma is a cancer with a very poor prognosis mainly because of metastatic dissemination and therefore a deregulation of cell migration.

Current therapies can benefit from complementary medicines as supportive care in oncology.

In our study, we show that a dynamized ultra-low dilution of Ruta Graveolens leads to an in vitro inhibition of migration on fibronectin of B16F10 melanoma cells, as well as a decrease in metastatic dissemination in vivo.

These effects appear to be due to a disruption of plasma membrane organization, with a change in cell and membrane stiffness, associated with a disorganization of the actin cytoskeleton and a modification of the lipid composition of the plasma membrane.

Together, these results demonstrate, in in vitro and in vivo models of cutaneous melanoma, an anti-cancer and anti-metastatic activity of ultra-low dynamized dilution of Ruta graveolens and reinforce its interest as complementary medicine in oncology.

Full Research Paper: Dynamized ultra-low dilution of Ruta graveolens disrupts plasma membrane organization and decreases migration of melanoma cancer cell