BACKGROUND In Germany, Iscucin® Populi (IP), a preparation from mistletoe growing on the poplar tree, is used in cancer therapy while Viscum Mali e planta tota (VM), a preparation from mistletoe growing on the apple tree, is used in patients with osteoarthritis. Since mistletoe preparations are suspected to induce production of potentially tumor promoting cytokines like interleukin (IL)-6, furt...

In this study, the effects of Viscum album (mistletoe) extract on some serum electrolytes, organ weight and cytoarchitecture were carried out in high loaded rats. 24 male albino Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups of 6 rats each. Group 1 took normal rat pellets + drinking water. Group 2 took same as group 1 + mistletoe extract (150mg/kg body weight, orally once daily). Group 3 took high salt...

BACKGROUND Chemotherapy for breast cancer often deteriorates quality of life, augments fatigue, and induces neutropenia. Mistletoe preparations are frequently used by cancer patients in Central Europe. Physicians have reported better quality of life in breast cancer patients additionally treated with mistletoe preparations during chemotherapy. Mistletoe preparations also have immunostimulant pr...

Ponderosa pines with little or no dwarf mistletoe in infested stands on the Deschutes, Ochoco, and Rogue River National Forests in Oregon were tested for resistance to dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium campylopodum). Small trees produced by grafting scions from the resistant and susceptible candidates onto seedling rootstock were planted in 1967-69 beneath a heavily infested stand of ponderosa pine...

Complementary treatment possibilities for the therapy of cancer are increasing in demand due to the severe side effects of the standard cytostatics used in the first-line therapy. A common approach as a complementary treatment is the use of aqueous extracts of Viscum album L. (Santalaceace). The therapeutic activity of these extracts is attributed to Mistletoe lectins which are Ribosome-inactiv...

BACKGROUND The effects of standardized aqueous mistletoe extracts on Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) of tumor patients needs further evaluation. METHODS in this non-interventional, prospective clinical investigation the longitudinal course of Quality of Life of 270 breast cancer patients during adjuvant chemotherapy and mistletoe therapy with abnobaVISCUM(®) Mali was investigated. HRQo...

In response to our paper testing whether mistletoe represents a keystone resource [1], Thomsen & Wernberg (TW) [2] integrated our experiment with previous work and introduced a novel hypothesis to explain how structural complexity influences community composition. While we share their enthusiasm for unveiling generalized determinants of diversity, we caution that their approach may overlook som...

BACKGROUND Mistletoe extracts have anti-tumor properties and are approved for subcutaneous use in cancer patients. Data on Intravenous application are limited. METHODS An aqueous extract from pine-mistletoe was used to investigate maximum tolerable dose (MTD) and safety of intravenous application. It was infused once weekly for 3 weeks in patients with advanced cancer. Any type of cancer was ...

Mistletoe preparations such as Iscador are in common use as complementary/anthroposophic medications for many cancer indications, particularly for solid cancers. The efficacy is still discussed controversially. This paper presents an individual patient data meta-analysis of all published prospective matched-pair studies with breast cancer patients concerned with long-term application of a compl...