Cytotoxic Effects of Homeopathic Preparations on Human Tumor Cells In Vitro

Abstract: The aim of this work was to conduct an in vitro assessment of the possible cytotoxic effects of homeopathic drugs and consider possible mechanisms. Background: Homeopathy is still widely used as a complementary (alternative) medicine in different countries throughout the world. However, the method raises a lot of scientific debate about its effectiveness and mechanisms of action. This is especially true concerning the use of homeopathy in cancer treatment. Objective: This work aimed to comparatively assess the cytotoxic effect of homeopathic remedies on tumor cell cultures. Materials and Methods: We studied different dilutions of homeopathic medicines: Hydrastis, Conium and Carcinosinum. Cell lines of prostate cancer PC-3, breast cancer MDA-MB-231, and lymphoblastic leukemia Jurkat were used as model tumor objects. Standard colorimetric MTT test and cytometric analysis of cells were used here to assess the viability and parameters of apoptosis of cells. Results: Comparative assessment of the cytotoxic and apoptosis-inducing effects did not reveal significant differences in the viability of tumor cells in the groups exposed to homeopathic preparations among themselves and in comparison with the control group. The effects of the action of homeopathic remedies are shown only in the form of trends. Some possible mechanisms of the obtained results are considered. Conclusion: The results obtained in vitro indicated the absence of a direct cytotoxic effect in the studied homeopathic preparations. Despite the objective data, this does not allow us to make a final conclusion about the absence of antitumor activity of these drugs in vivo, since the possible or potential effects depend on the parameters of a living organism that are difficult to control and are often based only on hypothetical mechanisms. Some aspects of the action of homeopathy probably cannot be reproduced in vitro.