SynthesisBMC complementary and alternative medicine2011
Safety of higher dosages of Viscum album L. in animals and humans--systematic review of immune changes and safety parameters.
Synthesis in BMC complementary and alternative medicine, 2011. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 45 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
45 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 103 citations in OpenAlex.
- Mistletoe Extracts during the Oncological Perioperative Period: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Human Randomized Controlled Trials.Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.) · 2023Pooled it
- Quality of life of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer during treatment with mistletoe: a randomized controlled trial.Deutsches Arzteblatt international · 2014Trial
- Pharmacological Properties of Parasitic Plants: Current Evidence and the Role of Parasitic Lifestyle.Plants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Pharmakokinetics of Mistletoe Lectins after Intravenous Application of a Mistletoe Product in Healthy Subjects.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Chronobiology ofFrontiers in physiology · 2024Article
- Viscum album, as alternative and bridge to palliative chemotherapy in recurrent gallbladder cancer following laparoscopic radical cholecystectomy: a case report.Korean journal of clinical oncology · 2023Article
- Toxicity of House Plants to Pet Animals.Toxins · 2023Review
- The Anti-Inflammatory Activity ofPlants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Review
- Review
- Phytotherapy in Integrative Oncology-An Update of Promising Treatment Options.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Review
- Distinct Modulatory Effects of Fever-Range Hyperthermia on the Response of Breast Cancer Cells and Macrophages to Mistletoe (Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Article
- Article
- Biological activity of mistletoe: in vitro and in vivo studies and mechanisms of action.Archives of pharmacal research · 2020Review
- Statement to an Insufficient Systematic Review onEvidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM · 2020Article
- Anthroposophic Medicine: A Short Monograph and Narrative Review-Foundations, Essential Characteristics, Scientific Basis, Safety, Effectiveness and Misconceptions.Global advances in health and medicine · 2020Article
- Long-term survival of a patient with advanced pancreatic cancer under adjunct treatment withWorld journal of gastroenterology · 2019Article
- Article
- Mistletoe and Immunomodulation: Insights and Implications for Anticancer Therapies.Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM · 2019Review
- Chemoimmunotherapy in Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Case Report of a Long-Term Survivor Adjunctly Treated with Viscum album Extracts.Complementary medicine research · 2019Article
- Durable clinical remission of a skull metastasis under intralesional Viscum album extract therapy: Case report.Head & neck · 2018Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundViscum album L extracts (VAE, mistletoe) and isolated mistletoe lectins (ML) have immunostimulating properties and a strong dose-dependent cytotoxic activity. They are frequently used in complementary cancer treatment, mainly to improve quality of life, but partly also to influence tumour growth, especially by injecting VAE locally and in high dosage. The question is raised whether these higher dosages can induce any harm or immunosuppressive effects.
methodsSystematic review of all experiments and clinical studies investigating higher dosages of VAE in animals and humans (Viscum album > 1 mg in humans corresponding to > 0.02 mg/kg in animals or ML > 1 ng/kg) and assessing immune parameters or infections or adverse drug reactions.
results69 clinical studies and 48 animal experiments reported application of higher doses of VAE or ML and had assessed immune changes and/or harm. In these studies, Viscum album was applied in dosages up to 1500 mg in humans and 1400 mg/kg in animals, ML was applied up to 6.4 μg/kg in humans and in animals up to 14 μg/kg subcutaneously, 50 μg/kg nasally and 500 μg/kg orally. A variety of immune parameters showed fluctuating or rising outcomes, but no immunosuppressive effect. Side effects consisted mainly of dose-dependent flu-like symptoms (FLS), fever, local reactions at the injection site and various mild unspecific effects. Occasionally, allergic reactions were reported. After application of high doses of recombinant ML, reversible hepatotoxicity was observed in some cases.
conclusionsApplication of higher dosages of VAE or ML is not accompanied by immunosuppression; altogether VAE seems to exhibit low risk but should be monitored by clinicians when applied in high dosages.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.