Artemisinin (Artemisia annua)
Artemisinin is the bioactive extract of Artemisia annua, the Chinese sweet wormwood plant first isolated in the 1970s. Since then, the accumulating research has shed light on the potent anti-parasitic and anticancer abilities of artemisinin. The successful licensing and approval of artemisinin as an anti-malaria drug has even earned the discovery scientists a Nobel prize.
Numerous studies in cultured cells and animals have shown that artemisinin can kill and inhibit the growth of various types of cancer, including breast and prostate cancers. Further research informs that artemisinin can disrupt the mitochondria (i.e., the powerhouse of cells) and proliferation of cancer cells in a similar manner to parasitic cells. Moreover, artemisinin can react with the high iron levels in cancer cells to create high amounts of reactive oxygen species, resulting in oxidative stress overload and cell death called ferroptosis. Another unique anticancer mechanism of artemisinin is oncosis, a form of cell death by swelling. These multifaceted ways of artemisinin in combatting cancer cells make it even harder for the cancer to evolve ways to resist artemisinin compared to single-mechanism drugs.
artemisinin appears to leave non-cancerous cells alone, which is consistent with its good safety profile in humans. In recent years, artemisinin has passed three phase I clinical trials intended to evaluate its safety profile and optimal dosage to use in patients with solid tumours and metastatic breast cancers. One of those trials also found that artemisinin’s half-life in the bloodstream is only a few hours, so frequent intake may be needed to overcome this limitation.
Apart from its anticancer effects, artemisinin also exhibits potent anti-inflammatory effects, particularly in arthritic conditions. Two randomised clinical trials reported that artemisinin was efficacious at lowering inflammatory symptom scores in patients with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. These clinical results align with prior pre-clinical research showing that artemisinin can suppress the infiltration of inflammatory cells into the joints and lower levels of pro-inflammatory molecules in the lymph nodes draining the affected joints.
Recent pre-clinical studies have expanded the therapeutic scope of artemisinin to cardiovascular and neurological diseases. For instance, artemisinin has been found to dampen the severity of myocardial fibrosis (heart tissue scarring) and cardiac hypertrophy (heart wall thickening) in animal models of cardiovascular diseases. Similarly, in animal models of dementia and stroke, artemisinin alleviated neuronal and microvessel damage in the brain, leading to notable improvements in cognitive function. These effects were largely driven by artemisinin’s ability to modulate key biochemical pathways, particularly those involved in oxidative stress and inflammation. Collectively, these findings highlight that artemisinin could exert its therapeutic effects on multiple organ systems, underscoring its promising use in holistic health.
Cover image attribution: Kristian Peters — Fabelfroh 11:39, 16 September 2007 (UTC), Artemisia annua, CC BY-SA 3.0
