Complementary and alternative medicine in reducing radiation-induced skin toxicity

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Dermatology
• Radiology

Background:

• Radiation therapy often causes skin toxicity, impacting patient quality of life.
• Currently, no topical agents are routinely used to prevent radiation-induced skin damage.
• Complementary and alternative medicine offers potential avenues for managing these side effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of Calendula officinalis (CO) and Ching Wan Hung (CWH) in mitigating radiation-induced skin toxicity and inflammation.
• To evaluate the effects of CO and CWH on key inflammatory markers following ionizing radiation (IR).

Main Methods:

• SKH-hr1 hairless mice were exposed to ionizing radiation (IR) at 10 Gy/day for 4 days.
• CO and CWH were applied topically immediately after each IR dose.
• Skin toxicity, erythema, blood vessel dilation, and serum inflammatory factors (IL-1α, MCP1, KC, G-CSF) were assessed up to 15 days post-radiation.

Main Results:

• Both CO and CWH significantly inhibited IR-induced MCP1, KC, and G-CSF.
• CWH significantly reduced IR-induced erythema and blood vessel dilation, while CO did not show significant reduction.
• Both agents inhibited IR-induced IL-1α and vascular endothelial growth factor.
• CWH demonstrated continuous inhibitory effects on IR-induced skin toxicities and inflammation.

Conclusions:

• CWH shows significant potential in reducing radiation-induced inflammation and skin toxicities, including erythema.
• CO did not demonstrate significant protective effects and even resulted in skin reactions compared to IR alone.
• Further human clinical trials are warranted to validate CWH's efficacy in preventing radiation-induced skin toxicities.