• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.66
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• pp.379-387
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• 2023

Dog owners seek treatment when their pets develop cancer. IMMUNIES is traditional herbal medicine-based figment made of 10 natural herbs, designed to maintain host immune function. The major component of IMMUNIES is Dendropanax morbiferus. This clinical pilot study monitored the toxicity and efficacy of IMMUNIES. Four senile dogs with spontaneously occurring mammary and liver cancers were enrolled in this study and treated orally daily for 3 months, and their blood/urine biochemical profiles were examined each month. IMMUNIES was well tolerated during the treatment period. Blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and C-reactive protein levels decreased in all four dogs, whereas red blood cells and hematocrit were within the normal range. IMMUNIES also changed the expression of several molecular targets in the anticancer pathway, such as pro-NAG-1, p53, and cyclin D1. Although the tumors did not completely respond to IMMUNIES, the biochemical profiles and clinical examination showed a stabilized cancer status for 3 months. Thus, IMMUNIES was found to be safe and well-tolerated in the dosage range tested and exhibited cancer antiproliferative activity in canine cancer. Future studies should address other potential benefits of IMMUNIES, including correlative assessments of immune function, quality of life, and owner satisfaction.