The Synergistic and Attenuated Mechanism of Action of the Xihuang Pill in Dual Immunotherapy After Stenting for Advanced Cholangiocarcinoma: A Controlled Clinical Trial.
Wang. Peng P; Wang. Yu-Huan YH; Tao. Yun Y; Zheng. Xiang-Long XL; Wang. Wan-Chun WC
Key Findings
- Xihuang pill plus dual immunotherapy raised the objective remission rate to 42.5% versus 17.5%–27.5% with drugs alone
- Patients receiving the triple combo showed better blood clotting profiles and higher immune‑cell counts (CD3+, CD4+, CD4+/CD8+)
- Adverse reactions were fewer in the triple‑therapy group
Practical Outcomes
- For biohackers, this study shows thymosin‑alpha‑1 can modulate immune markers in a cancer setting, but the benefits were seen only when paired with a specific herbal formula and in sick patients. It isn’t a ready‑to‑use protocol for healthy longevity or performance enhancement; more safety and efficacy data are needed before considering off‑label use.
Summary
In a trial with 120 advanced bile‑duct cancer patients, adding a traditional Chinese medicine (Xihuang pill) to a combo of an immune‑checkpoint drug (tislelizumab) and the peptide thymosin‑alpha‑1 improved tumor response and lowered side‑effects compared to the drugs alone, but it didn’t significantly extend one‑year survival.
Abstract
This study aims to investigate the synergistic and attenuation mechanism of Xihuang pill in the treatment of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), thereby providing a reliable scientific basis for the selection of postoperative treatment strategies in cholangiocarcinoma patients. In total, 120 patients with advanced CCA who underwent stent implantation were divided into control group I (n = 40), control group II (n = 40), and observation group (n = 40). The patients in control group I were only treated with a tumor immunosuppressant (tislelizumab injection), the patients in control group II were administered tumor double immunotherapy (tislelizumab injection + thymalfasin injection), and the patients in the observation group were treated with Xihuang pill combined with tumor double immunotherapy. The therapeutic effect, side effects, coagulation function, tumor markers, and immune function were compared among the three groups. Compared to the patients in control groups I and II, those in the observation group showed significantly longer activated partial thromboplastin time (APPT) and prothrombin time (PT), and lower fibrinogen (FIB) levels and platelet count (PLT) after treatment (P < 0.05). In the observation group, the levels of CD3+, CD4+, and CD4+/CD8+ increased, but the level of CD8+ decreased. The levels of CEA, CA125, CA19-9, CA242, and CA50 in serum decreased. The adverse reactions in the observation group were lower, while the objective remission rate (ORR) was significantly higher than their corresponding values in control groups I and II (42.5%vs17.5%, 27.5%) (P < 0.05). The 1-year overall survival rates of the control group I, control group II and observation group were 42.5%, 50% and 60%, and the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Xihuang Pill combined with dual immunotherapy can synergistically enhance anti-tumor efficacy and reduce treatment-related toxicity in patients with advanced CCA by regulating coagulation function and immune mechanisms.
Study Information
pubmed
2025
2025-06-12T00:00:00.000Z
10.2147/ijgm.s496375