DISCUSSION
It
has been shown that the common herb Echinacea
purpurea has significant immunostimulatory properties, which can activate
macrophages, resulting in increased cytokine production and phagocytic activity.
It has therefore been suggested that Echinacea be used as an immune stimulator
with the potential to be developed into a drug for curing bacterial or viral
infections or for cancer therapy. However, it has not yet been shown how this
widely used herb actually works. Previous research shows the increase in
cytokine production upon culture of cells with Echinacea and the ability of
Echinacea to differentiate tumor cells. Therefore, it was hypothesized that the
MAP kinase pathway could possibly be one of the mechanisms through which
Echinacea influences cells. The results of this experiment show that the MAP
kinase pathway is involved in the stimulation of macrophages by Echinacea. The
decrease in IL-6 production in cells treated with an ERK inhibitor indicates
that this pathway is used to send signals from the membrane to the nucleus of
the cell thereby effecting transcription of genes. These results validate the
immunostimulatory properties of this common herb by showing the mechanism of
cell activation. Such evidence supports the possible development of Echinacea
into an important therapeutic tool in the treatment of infection or cancer.
Further research would include exploring possible cell surface receptors for
Echinacea, the transcription factors associated with Echinacea induced cytokine
production and identifying specific genes involved in Echinacea induced cellular
changes.
Title
Page
Introduction
Objective
Materials
and Methods
Apparatus
Results
Conclusion