On 2018 Jan 12, Morten Oksvold commented:

In this study the authors use artesunate at concentrations ranging from 50 to 400 microM. They argue that the cytotoxic effects of artesunate on normal cells represent a problem for use of the drug in cancer therapy.

The problem is that the authors study biological effects of artesunate at concentrations which are not physiological relevant. We are using artesunate at concentrations raging from 1 to 5 microM in B-cell lymphoma, where most cells have an IC50 below 1 microM. Maxium serum levels in malaria patients treated with artesunate have been measured to 1-3 microM.

Artesunate concentrations of 50 microM and above will never be relevant in clinical settings and the study by Li X et al. is therefore misleading and irrelevant.

On 2018 Jan 12, Morten Oksvold commented:

In this study the authors use artesunate at concentrations ranging from 50 to 400 microM. They argue that the cytotoxic effects of artesunate on normal cells represent a problem for use of the drug in cancer therapy.

The problem is that the authors study biological effects of artesunate at concentrations which are not physiological relevant. We are using artesunate at concentrations raging from 1 to 5 microM in B-cell lymphoma, where most cells have an IC50 below 1 microM. Maxium serum levels in malaria patients treated with artesunate have been measured to 1-3 microM.

Artesunate concentrations of 50 microM and above will never be relevant in clinical settings and the study by Li X et al. is therefore misleading and irrelevant.