‘HI virus, cancer bush don’t mix’

IT IS known as the “cancer bush” and has been used from historic times to treat a variety of ailments from colds and flu to diarrhoea and rheumatism – and more recently to boost the immune system.

Now researchers from the University of Stellenbosch have warned that this plant, Sutherlandia frutescens, should not be taken by anyone who is HIV-positive as research has shown it exacerbates inflammation of the central nervous system.

The cancer bush, also known as the balloon pea, is distinctive with bright orange flowers and a balloon-like pod. It is indigenous to the more arid parts of southern Africa. It is has been used historically by indigenous healers and more recently has been commercialised, and is sold dried and used to make a “tea” to be taken medicinally.

Carine Smith, head of the stress biology research group at the department of physiological science at the university, said health organisations, particularly in developing countries, had promoted the use of Sutherlandia as an immunebooster for HIV-positive people before beginning antiretroviral therapy. However, she said while earlier research had supported the benefits of taking Sutherlandia for reducing stress in healthy people, “the picture changes when an individual is infected with the HI virus”.

The HI virus caused chronic inflammation of the central nervous system soon after an individual became infected. This promoted neurodegeneration and dementia.

She said their data, obtained in a cell co-culture simulation of the human blood-brain barrier, supported earlier work of the beneficial action of Sutherlandia, but only in non-HIV conditions.

“In the HIV condition, HIV-associated proteins caused more severe neuro-inflammation as more immune cells moved across the blood-brain barrier after being treated with Sutherlandia.”

She said the research, published in the Journal of Negative Results in BioMedicine, did not argue against the use of Sutherlandia as originally prescribed by “indigenous knowledge practitioners”, but “caution against the use of Sutherlandia frutescens at any stage post-HIV infection.”