Homeopathy 2019; 108(04): 296-297
DOI: 10.1055/s-0039-1693155
Letter to the Editor
The Faculty of Homeopathy

Reply to the Letter: ‘Homeopathy and Nanomedicine: Alien Twins’

1   Department of Homeopathic Philosophy, Vinayaka Mission’s Homeopathic Medical College and Hospital, Tamil Nadu, Salem, India
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

02 June 2019

06 June 2019

Publication Date:
01 August 2019 (online)

Homeopathy Seen as Personalised Nanomedicine

Homeopathy and Nanomedicine: Alien Twins

I am thankful to the authors for their comments[1] on my recent article.[2] It seems that they, being pharmaceutical nanotechnologists and working in conventional biomolecular medicine, may have an inherent ‘plausibility bias’ against homeopathy.[3] The article ‘Homeopathy seen as personalised nanomedicine’[2] was an attempt to find a critical common platform, highly necessary for the advancement of homeopathy as an effective scientific method based on research findings. The action of nanoparticles (NPs) on biological systems is not based merely on their size and shape but also depends on their potential energy.

Content uniformity might be a necessary criterion in the pharmaceutical nanotechnology of conventional medicine. In homeopathy, the preparation of various medicinal potencies is not a linear process as adopted in the preparation of NPs in conventional medicine, a very recent innovation. The purpose, process and principles of nanomedicine in conventional pharmacology and homeopathy are entirely different, and hence not comparable. Therefore, the title of the article ‘Homeopathy and Nanomedicine: Alien Twins’ seems to be proper and justified in the context of comparing between nanomedicines, as it is evolving in conventional medicine and that of homeopathy.

Nanoscience and technology are budding sciences with potential to evolve in a multitude of directions. Therefore, any attempt to delineate nanoscience as a wholly developed and completely known subject would lead to faulty and premature conclusions.

It is a very important suggestion from the letter’s authors to combine electron microscopy (EM) with dynamic light scattering (DLS) or nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA). It is certain that combining EM with any of these techniques would assure double verification and reconfirmation of the results. The homeopathic method of drug preparation is not one tailored to ensure the uniformity of the size and shape of NPs in the drug solution. The two centuries of clinical experiences of homeopathic physicians show that the curative action of homeopathic medicines (HMs) does not depend on the size and shape of NPs. Moreover, a given HM does not always show remarkable heterogeneity in size and shape. For example, the study of Nat-m LM1–LM30 and 6c–CM showed a uniform size of NPs at around 1 to 6 nm[4] (except LM1 [1–14 nm]), which is only a negligible variation at nanoscale. It is meaningless to assume that the NPs of the drug materials, in all the dilutions of a multitude of HMs,[5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] and studied in different laboratories, are ‘nothing but contaminants’.

Finally, the finding of NPs in HMs is not the only reason to propose that homeopathy is a ‘personalised nanomedicine’. It is based on three reasons: (1) the universal presence of NPs in HMs; (2) the numerous facets of scientific evidence that HMs have the ability to initiate a variety of modifications in the genetic system;[12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] [30] [31] [32] [33] [34] [35] [36] (3) the fact that the homeopathic drug provings with 30C potency produce signs and symptoms in healthy human beings. It is a logical proposition to test whether the therapeutic effects of HMs are retained even after the removal of the particles present in drug solutions. Similarly, to test whether the same concentration of identical NPs, prepared by methods different from those used for HMs, has the same therapeutic outcome would be useful in shedding more light on to the therapeutic effect of HMs.

I wholeheartedly appreciate the suggestions given by the letter's authors to further fine-tune the research process related to potencies of HMs.

 
  • References

  • 1 Farvadi F, Hashemi F. Homeopathy and nanomedicine: Alien twins. Homeopathy 2019; 108: 294-295
  • 2 Rajendran ES. Homeopathy seen as personalised nanomedicine. Homeopathy 2019; 108: 66-70
  • 3 Rutten L, Mathie RT, Fisher P, Goossens M, van Wassenhoven M. Plausibility and evidence: the case of homeopathy. Med Health Care Philos 2013; 16: 525-532
  • 4 Rajendran ES. Nano pharmacological aspect of homeopathic drugs – a comparative study of different scales of ultra-high dilutions based on HRTEM analysis and NP characterization of homeopathic drug Natrum muriaticum 6C-CM and LM1–LM30. Saudi J Med Pharm Sci 2017; 3: 89-106
  • 5 Chikramane PS, Suresh AK, Bellare JR, Kane SG. Extreme homeopathic dilutions retain starting materials: a nanoparticulate perspective. Homeopathy 2010; 99: 231-242
  • 6 Bell IR, Muralidharan S, Schwartz GE. Nanoparticle characterization of traditional homeopathically - manufactured Gelsemium sempervirens medicines and placebo controls. J Nanomedine Biotherapeutic Discov 2015; 5: 136
  • 7 Bell IR, Muralidharan S, Schwartz GE. Nanoparticle characterization of traditional homeopathically - manufactured Silver (Argentum metallicum) medicines and placebo controls. J Nanomed Nanotechnol 2015; 6: 311
  • 8 Bell IR, Schwartz GE. Enhancement of adaptive biological effects by nanotechnology preparation methods in homeopathic medicines. Homeopathy 2015; 104: 123-138
  • 9 Upadhyay RP, Nayak C. Homeopathy emerging as nanomedicine. Int J High Dilution Res 2011; 10: 299-310
  • 10 Konovalov AI, Ryzhkina IS. Highly diluted aqueous solutions: formation of nano-sized molecular assemblies (nanoassociates). Geochem Int 2014; 52: 1207-1226
  • 11 Nandy P. A review of basic research on homeopathy from a physicist's point of view. Indian J Res Homeopathy 2015; 9: 141-151
  • 12 Khuda-Bukhsh AR. Potentized homeopathic drugs act through regulation of gene expression: a hypothesis to explain their mechanism and pathways of action in vitro. Complement Ther Med 1997; 5: 43-46
  • 13 Khuda-Bukhsh AR, Bhattacharya SS, Paul S. PLGA Nanoparticle encapsulated plant extract (Gelsemium sempervirens) enhances cellular uptake and increases bioactivity: novel findings from an in vitro study. Tsitol Genet 2009; 14: 15-18
  • 14 Samadder A, Das S, Das J, Paul A, Boujedaini N, Khuda-Bukhsh AR. The potentized homeopathic drug, Lycopodium clavatum (5C and 15C) has anti-cancer effect on HeLa cells in vitro. J Acupunct Meridian Stud 2013; 6: 180-187
  • 15 Mondal J, Panigrahi AK, Khuda-Bukhsh AR. Anticancer potential of Conium maculatum extract against cancer cells in vitro: drug-DNA interaction and its ability to induce apoptosis through ROS generation. Pharmacogn Mag 2014; 10 (Suppl. 03) S524-S533
  • 16 Khuda-Bukhsh AR. Current trends in high dilution research with particular reference to gene regulatory hypothesis. Nucleus 2014; 57: 3-17
  • 17 Samadder A, Khuda-Bukhsh AR. Nanotechnological approaches in diabetes treatment: A new horizon. World J Transl Med 2014; 3: 84-95
  • 18 Saha SK, Roy S, Khuda-Bukhsh AR. Ultra-highly diluted plant extracts of Hydrastis canadensis and Marsdenia condurango induce epigenetic modifications and alter gene expression profiles in HeLa cells in vitro. J Integr Med 2015; 13: 400-411
  • 19 Mandal SK, Biswas R, Bhattacharyya SS. , et al. Lycopodine from Lycopodium clavatum extract inhibits proliferation of HeLa cells through induction of apoptosis via caspase-3 activation. Eur J Pharmacol 2010; 626: 115-122
  • 20 Khuda-Bukhsh AR. Towards understanding molecular mechanisms of action of homeopathic drugs: an overview. Mol Cell Biochem 2003; 253: 339-345
  • 21 Khuda-Bukhsh AR, Karmakar SR, Banerjee A. , et al. A follow-up study on the efficacy of the homeopathic remedy Arsenicum album in volunteers living in high risk Arsenic contaminated areas. Indian J Res Homeopathy 2009; 3: 43-51
  • 22 Khuda-Bukhsh AR, Sikdar S. Condurango 30C induces epigenetic modification of lung cancer-specific tumour suppressor genes via demethylation. Forsch Komplement Med 2015; 22: 172-179
  • 23 Khuda-Bukhsh AR, Bhattacharyya SS, Paul S, Dutta S, Boujedaini N, Belon P. Modulation of signal proteins: a plausible mechanism to explain how a potentized drug Secale cor 30C diluted beyond Avogadro's limit combats skin papilloma in mice. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2011; 2011: 286320
  • 24 Das D, De A, Dutta S, Biswas R, Boujedaini N, Khuda-Bukhsh AR. Potentized homeopathic drug Arsenicum Album 30C positively modulates protein biomarkers and gene expressions in Saccharomyces cerevisiae exposed to arsenate. Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Xue Bao 2011; 9: 752-760
  • 25 Khuda-Bukhsh AR, Chakrabarti J. Effects of sonication on chromosomes of mice, Mus musculus, and modifying effects of a homeopathic drug, Arnica Montana on them. Tsitol Genet 1998; 9: 333-340
  • 26 Khuda-Bukhsh AR. An evidence-based evaluation of efficacy of homeopathic drugs in mice during induced hepatocarcinogenesis. Tsitol Genet 2007; 13: 177-185
  • 27 Khuda-Bukhsh AR, De A, Das D, Dutta S, Boujedaini N. Analysis of the capability of ultra-highly diluted glucose to increase glucose uptake in arsenite-stressed bacteria Escherichia coli. Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Xue Bao 2011; 9: 901-912
  • 28 Marzotto M, Olioso D, Brizzi M, Tononi P, Cristofoletti M, Bellavite P. Extreme sensitivity of gene expression in human SH-SY5Y neurocytes to ultra-low doses of Gelsemium sempervirens. BMC Complement Altern Med 2014; 14: 104-124
  • 29 Sunila ES, Kuttan R, Preethi KC, Kuttan G. Dynamized preparations in cell culture. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2009; 6: 257-263
  • 30 Preethi K, Ellanghiyil S, Kuttan G, Kuttan R. Induction of apoptosis of tumor cells by some potentiated homeopathic drugs: implications on mechanism of action. Integr Cancer Ther 2012; 11: 172-182
  • 31 Mukherjee A, Sikdar S, Bishayee K, Boujedaini N, Khuda-Bukhsh AR. Flavonol isolated from ethanolic leaf extract of Thuja occidentalis arrests the cell cycle at G2-M and induces ROS-independent apoptosis in A549 cells, targeting nuclear DNA. Cell Prolif 2014; 47: 56-71
  • 32 Bishayee K, Chakraborty D, Gosh D, Boujedaini N, Khuda-Bukhsh AR. Lycopodine triggers apoptosis by modulation 5-lipoxygenase, and depolarizing mitochondrial membrane potential in androgen sensitive and refractory prostate cancer cells without modulating p53 activity; signaling cascade and drug-DNA interaction. Eur J Pharmacol 2013; 698: 110-121
  • 33 Bishayee K, Paul A, Ghosh S. , et al. Condurango-glycoside-A fraction of Gonolobus condurango induces DNA damage associated senescence and apoptosis via ROS-dependent p53 signalling pathway in HeLa cells. Mol Cell Biochem 2013; 382: 173-183
  • 34 Friso S, Choi SW, Girelli D. , et al. A common mutation in the 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene affects genomic DNA methylation through an interaction with folate status. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2002; 99: 5606-5611
  • 35 Baylin SB, Herman JG, Graff JR, Vertino PM, Issa JP. Alterations in DNA methylation: a fundamental aspect of neoplasia. Adv Cancer Res 1998; 72: 141-196
  • 36 Olsen S. Effects of ultra-high dilutions of sodium butyrate on viability and gene expression in HEK 293 cells. Homeopathy 2017; 106: 32-36