The anticancer activity of Artemisinin

Artemisia annua or sweet wormwood

Artemisinin, a Chinese herb known as Qinghao Su, is one of the most effective treatments against malaria. Dr. Tu Youyou first isolated this compound from a herbal tea called sweet wormwood. In recent years, Artemisinin has been studied and used in cancer treatment, as a potential therapy for various types of cancer. Studies have shown it can kill cancer cells by creating reactive oxygen species and disrupting the mitochondrial electron transport chain. It is especially effective in treating certain types of leukemia, lymphomas and brain tumors. Artemisinin has been used in combination with other treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, to increase the effectiveness of the treatment. It is also being studied for its potential to be used as an adjuvant therapy for improving the quality of life in cancer patients.Artemisinin can kill off cancer cells at a rate of 12,000 for every healthy cell, so it is very selective against cancer cells.

Main anticancer mechanisms of artemisinin  

I believe there's no need for iron supplementation alongside or before taking artemisinin. In fact, contrary to some ferroptosis protocols, it's likely better to avoid it altogether. Cancer cells already rely on iron for growth and proliferation {ref}. By enhancing iron uptake as suggested by such protocols, there is a risk that the extra iron could fuel tumor growth instead of leading to cell death, especially if ferroptosis induction isn't strong or sustained enough.

comparison of ethanol and water extracts vs. supplement

While artemisinin is generally considered safe, it can cause severe liver injury, especially at higher or prolonged doses. Regular monitoring and caution are advised when using (pure) artemisinin-based products. Given that liver toxicity can occur with prolonged or higher doses of pure artemisinin, the extracts, despite their enhanced bioavailability, may present a safer option due to the lower total absolute amount of pure artemisinin consumed. Other compounds in the extracts may protect the liver by enhancing artemisinin's stability or reducing oxidative stress, which could arise from isolated compounds in supplements. Nonetheless, it’s crucial to monitor liver function, especially in long-term use or if signs of liver stress appear, such as jaundice or elevated liver enzymes.

Weathers PJ, Elfawal MA, Towler MJ, Acquaah-Mensah GK, Rich SM. Pharmacokinetics of artemisinin delivered by oral consumption of Artemisia annua dried leaves in healthy vs. Plasmodium chabaudi-infected mice. J Ethnopharmacol. 2014 May 14;153(3):732-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2014.03.037. Epub 2014 Mar 22. PMID: 24661969; PMCID: PMC4020007.

Qingrong Li, Qiang Ma, Jibing Cheng, Xi Zhou, Wenjie Pu, Xiaowu Zhong &

Xiaolan Guo (2021) Dihydroartemisinin as a Sensitizing Agent in Cancer Therapies, OncoTargets

and Therapy, , 2563-2573, DOI: 10.2147/OTT.S297785

https://doi.org/10.2147/OTT.S297785