M. Jurin et al., VISCUM-ALBUM L PREPARATION ISOREL MODIFIES THE IMMUNE-RESPONSE IN NORMAL AND IN TUMOR-BEARING MICE, Anti-cancer drugs, 8, 1997, pp. 27-31
The Viscum album (mistletoe) preparation Isorel is able to destroy tum
our cells and to modify immune reactivity against a particular antigen
in normal and in tumour-bearing animals, CBA/HZgr mice and methylchol
anthrene-induced fibrosarcoma were used in these studies. A single dos
e of Isorel M (140 mg/kg or 1400 mg/kg body weight) significantly incr
eased the number of plaque forming cells if applied at the time of inj
ection of sheep red blood cells or 1 day earlier,The application of Is
orel 1 day after sheep red blood cells did not modify the number of pl
aque forming cells in comparison to the controls, The higher the dose
of Isorel the stronger is the immune response to sheep red blood cells
, Furthermore, one dose of Isorel (140 mg/kg body weight) restored the
suppressed immune response of fibrosarcoma-bearing mice to a signific
ant extent, Besides modification of the humoral immune response, the s
urvival time of C57BI/GoZgr male skin grafts on syngeneic female recip
ients was significantly shorter if Isorel was applied at a particular
time after grafting, However, according to plaque forming cell numbers
, a prolonged application of Isorel was significantly immunosuppressiv
e in normal mice and particularly in tumour-bearing mice, It should be
mentioned that the doses of Isorel used in this experiment were much
higher than generally used in cancer patients. In view of the immunomo
dulating effects of Isorel, the monitoring of the immune response of t
he patients treated with mistletoe preparations is to be recommended.