Description
Dihydroartemisinin is a sesquiterpene lactone that can be derived from Artemisia. Dihydroartemisinin exhibits anticancer, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anti-asthma, and anti-parasitic activities. Artemisinins such as dihydroartemisinin are best known for their antimalarial activity. Dihydroartemisinin induces apoptosis in colorectal cancer cells, increasing levels of ROS and Bax; it also inhibits mTORC1 in rhabdomyosarcoma cells. Dihydroartemisinin displays antimicrobial activity against Plasmodium, Schistosoma, and human cytomegalovirus. This compound also decreases levels of inflammatory cells, Th4 cytokines, IgE, and mucus secretion, suppressing airway hyper-responsiveness in animal models of asthma.
References
Ontikatze T, Rudner J, Handrick R, et al. Dihydroartemisinin is a Hypoxia-Active Anti-Cancer Drug in Colorectal Carcinoma Cells. Front Oncol. 2014 May 19;4:116. PMID: 24904829.
Wanzira H, Kakuru A, Arinaitwe E, et al. Longitudinal Outcomes in a Cohort of Ugandan Children Randomized to Artemether-lumefantrine Versus Dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine for the Treatment of Malaria. Clin Infect Dis. 2014 May 13. [Epub ahead of print]. PMID: 24825870.
Li HJ, Xu FL, Wang YH, et al. Dihydroartemisinin: a new story of an old drug against Schistosoma mansoni infection. Parasitol Res. 2014 Jan;113(1):239-41. PMID: 24146209.
Flobinus A, Taudon N, Desbordes M, et al. Stability and antiviral activity against human cytomegalovirus of artemisinin derivatives. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2014 Jan;69(1):34-40. PMID: 24003183.
Odaka Y, Xu B, Luo Y, et al. Dihydroartemisinin inhibits the mammalian target of rapamycin-mediated signaling pathways in tumor cells. Carcinogenesis. 2014 Jan;35(1):192-200. PMID: 23929438.
Wei M, Xie X, Chu X, et al. Dihydroartemisinin suppresses ovalbumin-induced airway inflammation in a mouse allergic asthma model. Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol. 2013 Jun;35(3):382-9. PMID: 23635079.
