本計畫目的為試圖找出對肺癌有輔助治?功效之中醫藥，而能完全符合?床的應用。在放射線治 ?過程中，盡?減低對正常組織所造成的傷害，且?會影響放射治?之成效，就能達到較好之治?品 質，試想?能以中醫藥做為肺癌輔助治?之藥物，??低原本正常組織所需接受之放射劑?，達到相 同的治?功效，將可以有效解決放射治?在?床上所遇到之困難。 雖然傳統中醫藥對於癌症治?上有很好的功效，然而，中醫藥對肺癌治?之成效並未經過較完整 之分子生物技術?評估，因此，本計畫在第一?的研究中，首先會選取五種對抗癌有功效之中藥，進 ?中藥萃取液與肺癌細胞之細胞培養評估，希望從其中找出具有抑制肺癌細胞生長的藥物，使中醫藥 在現代科學輔助下發揮?大的功效。而已知EGFR signaling pathway為癌細胞生找的主要訊息傳遞? 徑，因此，本研究將?進一步的?用Western blot以及RT-PCR?探討中藥萃取液對於此?徑蛋白的抑制 以及其mRNA的表現之影響與作用機轉。另外，當EGFR signaling pathway被抑制，會促使Bad去磷酸 化造成?腺體膜電位的?穩定，進而使Cytochrome C釋放出?，活化Caspase 9，進而活化Caspase 3， 使細胞走向凋亡，所以本研究也會去探討走向凋亡的訊息傳遞?徑，及?用Flow cytometry和Confocal ??進一步評估肺癌細胞凋亡的情形。接著第二?將會結合放射線照射，?探討加上放射線後對EGFR 與凋亡的訊息傳遞?徑所造成的影響，另外也會?進一步探討放射線的劑?設定與照射時機。第三? 以肺癌細胞植入?鼠皮下進?動物實驗，評估在動物體內結合放射治?與注射中藥萃取液對腫瘤所造 成的影響，用IVIS 200 imaging system和MicroCT每天觀察腫瘤的大小與變化?評估治?之成效。
The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is over-expressed in a significant number of human cancers including lung cancer. Therefore, it is feasible and possible to survey a natural agent as an inhibitor of EGFR for lung cancer treatment. In this study, we intended to determine the optimal concentration of five Chinese herbs for inhibitive activity in tumor cells via MTT and G6PD release assays, and blocking EGFR signaling pathway via Western blot and RT-PCR. We expected that these Chinese herbs were as adjunct treatment on lung cancer to reduce dose of radiation therapy. In the first year of this study, we investigated the biological effects of five different Chinese herbs on lung cancer cells. They are Ta-Huang, Tzu-Tsao, Tan-Sheng, Tank-Kuei, Yin-Chen. The optimal concentration of each Chinese herb on lung cancer cells was determined during this initial year of survey. Throughout the second year, these optimal concentrations were combined with radiation therapy in dosages of 1 Gy/min, 5 Gy/min, 10 Gy/min, 20 Gy/min and 40 Gy/min. The final year of this study would apply an IVIS 200 imaging system, micro-CT scans, and histological observation to determine the effects of these Chinese herbs and radiation therapy in vivo animal experiments.
