Mistletoe and Immunomodulation: Insights and Implications for Anticancer Therapies.
Oei SL, Thronicke A, Schad F.
Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2019 Apr 17;2019:5893017. doi: 10.1155/2019/5893017.

Mistletoe extract Fraxini inhibits the proliferation of liver cancer by down-regulating c-Myc expression.
Yang P, Jiang Y, Pan Y, Ding X, Rhea P, Ding J, Hawke DH, Felsher D, Narla G, Lu Z, Lee RT.
Sci Rep. 2019 Apr 23;9(1):6428. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-41444-2.

Chemoimmunotherapy in Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Case Report of a Long-Term Survivor Adjunctly Treated with Viscum album Extracts.
Werthmann PG, Kindermann L, Kienle GS.
Complement Med Res. 2019;26(4):276-279. doi: 10.1159/000496866.

Use and Safety of Viscum album L Applications in Cancer Patients With Preexisting Autoimmune Diseases: Findings From the Network Oncology Study.
Oei SL, Thronicke A, Kröz M, Matthes H, Schad F.
Integr Cancer Ther. 2019 Jan-Dec;18:1534735419832367. doi: 10.1177/1534735419832367.

Viscothionin purified from mistletoe (Viscum album var. coloratum Ohwi) induces insulin secretion from pancreatic beta cells.
Park JH, Kim YN, Kim JK, Park HY, Song BS.
J Ethnopharmacol. 2019 Apr 24;234:172-179. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2019.01.014.

Intralesional and subcutaneous application of Viscum album L. (European mistletoe) extract in cervical carcinoma in situ: A CARE compliant case report.
Reynel M, Villegas Y, Kiene H, Werthmann PG, Kienle GS.
Medicine (Baltimore). 2018 Nov;97(48):e13420. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000013420

Therapeutic potential of mistletoe in CNS-related neurological disorders and the chemical composition of Viscum species.
Szurpnicka A, Zjawiony JK, Szterk A.
J Ethnopharmacol. 2019 Mar 1;231:241-252. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2018.11.025.

The Internal Coherence of Breast Cancer Patients Is Associated with the Decision-Making for Chemotherapy and Viscum album L. Treatment.
Oei SL, Thronicke A, Kröz M, Herbstreit C, Schad F.
Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2018 Sep 27;2018:1065271. doi: 10.1155/2018/1065271.

Efficacy and safety of Viscum album extract (Helixor-M) to treat malignant pleural effusion in patients with lung cancer.
Lee YG, Jung I, Koo DH, Kang DY, Oh TY, Oh S, Lee SS.
Support Care Cancer. 2019 May;27(5):1945-1949. doi: 10.1007/s00520-018-4455-z.

Korean mistletoe (Viscum album coloratum) extract regulates gene expression related to muscle atrophy and muscle hypertrophy.
Jeong J, Park CH, Kim I, Kim YH, Yoon JM, Kim KS, Kim JB.
BMC Complement Altern Med. 2017 Jan 21;17(1):68. doi: 10.1186/s12906-017-1575-9.

Mistletoe (Viscum album L.) is a semi-parasite evergreen shrub that grows on many plants including oak, apple and other and takes the form of a bush.

It belongs to the family of Viscaceae.

Mistletoe produces light-coloured berries which, in winter, when they reach maturity, contain a viscous liquid, hence the name.

Its antioxidant components include viscotoxins, small proteins capable of counteracting cancer cells, oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, triterpene acids, phenylpropanoids, alkaloids and flavonoid.

Chemical analysis performed with high resolution chromatography equipped with high resolution mass spectrometer has identified the following main components: caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, sakuranetin, isosakuranetin, syringenin 4-O-glucoside, syringenin 4-O-apiosyl-glucoside, alangilignoside C and ligalbumoside A (1).

Mistletoe extracts have been used as adjuvants in cancer therapy for decades. The main component of the mistletoe is a protein called Mistletoe lectin 1, which stimulates the immune system and influences the proliferation and motility of cancer cells (1).

This study shows the first evidence that an extract of mistletoe leaves produced interesting cardioprotective effect in rats (3).

Mistletoe studies

References____________________________________________

(1) Phenolic compounds from Viscum album tinctures enhanced antitumor activity in melanoma murine cancer cells.  Melo MNO, Oliveira AP, Wiecikowski AF, Carvalho RS, Castro JL, de Oliveira FAG, Pereira HMG, da Veiga VF, Capella MMA, Rocha L, Holandino C.  Saudi Pharm J. 2018 Mar;26(3):311-322. doi: 10.1016/j.jsps.2018.01.011

(2) Mistletoe-Based Drugs Work in Synergy with Radio-Chemotherapy in the Treatment of Glioma In Vitro and In Vivo in Glioblastoma Bearing Mice.  Schötterl S, Miemietz JT, Ilina EI, Wirsik NM, Ehrlich I, Gall A, Huber SM, Lentzen H, Mittelbronn M, Naumann U.  Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2019 Jul 3;2019:1376140. doi: 10.1155/2019/1376140.

(3) Cardioprotective effects of Viscum album L. subsp. album (European misletoe) leaf extracts in myocardial ischemia and reperfusion.  Suveren E, Baxter GF, Iskit AB, Turker AU.  J Ethnopharmacol. 2017 Sep 14;209:203-209. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2017.07.010.