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Naeem A, Hu P, Yang M, Zhang J, Liu Y, Zhu W, Zheng Q. Natural Products as Anticancer Agents: Current Status and Future Perspectives. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27238367. [PMID: 36500466 PMCID: PMC9737905 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27238367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural products have been an invaluable and useful source of anticancer agents over the years. Several compounds have been synthesized from natural products by modifying their structures or by using naturally occurring compounds as building blocks in the synthesis of these compounds for various purposes in different fields, such as biology, medicine, and engineering. Multiple modern and costly treatments have been applied to combat cancer and limit its lethality, but the results are not significantly refreshing. Natural products, which are a significant source of new therapeutic drugs, are currently being investigated as potential cytotoxic agents and have shown a positive trend in preclinical research and have prompted numerous innovative strategies in order to combat cancer and expedite the clinical research. Natural products are becoming increasingly important for drug discovery due to their high molecular diversity and novel biofunctionality. Furthermore, natural products can provide superior efficacy and safety due to their unique molecular properties. The objective of the current review is to provide an overview of the emergence of natural products for the treatment and prevention of cancer, such as chemosensitizers, immunotherapeutics, combinatorial therapies with other anticancer drugs, novel formulations of natural products, and the molecular mechanisms underlying their anticancer properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abid Naeem
- Key Laboratory of Modern Preparation of Chinese Medicine, Ministry of Education, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330004, China
| | - Pengyi Hu
- Key Laboratory of Modern Preparation of Chinese Medicine, Ministry of Education, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330004, China
| | - Ming Yang
- Key Laboratory of Modern Preparation of Chinese Medicine, Ministry of Education, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330004, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Modern Preparation of Chinese Medicine, Ministry of Education, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330004, China
| | - Yali Liu
- Key Laboratory of Pharmacodynamics and Safety Evaluation, Health Commission of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang Medical College, Nanchang 330006, China
- Key Laboratory of Pharmacodynamics and Quality Evaluation on Anti-Inflammatory Chinese Herbs, Jiangxi Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanchang Medical College, Nanchang 330006, China
| | - Weifeng Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Modern Preparation of Chinese Medicine, Ministry of Education, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330004, China
| | - Qin Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Modern Preparation of Chinese Medicine, Ministry of Education, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330004, China
- Correspondence:
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Yang H, Wang L, Zhang J. Leukocyte modulation by natural products from herbal medicines and potential as cancer immunotherapy. J Leukoc Biol 2022; 112:185-200. [PMID: 35612275 DOI: 10.1002/jlb.3ru0222-087rrr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer constitutes a kind of life-threatening disease that is prevalent throughout the world. In light of limitations in conventional chemotherapies or radiotherapies, cancer immunotherapy has emerged as a potent strategy in treating cancer. In cancer immunotherapy, preliminary studies have demonstrated that cancer immune surveillance serves a crucial role in tumor initiation, progression, and metastasis. Herbal medicines and natural products, which serve as alternative medicines, are involved in the modulation of tumor immunosurveillance to enhance antitumor activity. Accordingly, this review aimed to summarize the modulation function of herbal medicines and natural products on tumor immunosurveillance while providing scientific insight into further research on its molecular mechanism and potential clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huihai Yang
- Department of Chinese Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine Material, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China.,Department of Chinese medicine, College of Medicine, Changchun Science-Technology University, Changchun, China.,Institute of Chinese Medicine and State Key Laboratory of Research on Bioactivities and Clinical Applications of Medicinal Plants, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong
| | - Lulu Wang
- Department of Chinese medicine, College of Medicine, Changchun Science-Technology University, Changchun, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Department of Chinese Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine Material, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
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3
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Zhou Y, Farooqi AA, Xu B. Comprehensive review on signaling pathways of dietary saponins in cancer cells suppression. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2021:1-26. [PMID: 34751072 DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2021.2000933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Nutrigenomics utilizes high-throughput genomic technologies to reveal changes in gene and protein levels. Excitingly, ever-growing body of scientific findings has provided sufficient evidence about the interplay between diet and genes. Cutting-edge research and advancements in genomics, epigenetics and metabolomics have deepened our understanding on the role of dietary factors in the inhibition of carcinogenesis and metastasis. Dietary saponins, a type of triterpene glycosides, are generally found in Platycodon grandifloras, Dioscorea oppositifolia, asparagus, legumes, and sea cucumber. Wealth of information has started to shed light on pleiotropic mechanistic roles of dietary saponins in cancer prevention and inhibition. In this review, we have attempted to summarize the in vitro research of dietary saponins in the last two decades by searching common databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. The results showed that dietary saponins exerted anti-cancer activities via regulation of apoptosis, autophagy, arrest cell cycle, anti-proliferation, anti-metastasis, and anti-angiogenesis, by regulation of several critical signaling pathways, including MAPK, PI3K/Akt/mTOR, NF-κB, and VEGF/VEGFR. However, there is no data about the dosage of dietary saponins for practical anti-cancer effects in human bodies. Extensive clinical studies are needed to confirm the effectiveness of dietary saponins for further commercial and medical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifan Zhou
- Food Science and Technology Program, BNU-HKBU United International College, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China.,Department of Food Science and Technology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Baojun Xu
- Food Science and Technology Program, BNU-HKBU United International College, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
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Wang Y, Zhang X, Wang Y, Zhao W, Li H, Zhang L, Li X, Zhang T, Zhang H, Huang H, Liu C. Application of immune checkpoint targets in the anti-tumor novel drugs and traditional Chinese medicine development. Acta Pharm Sin B 2021; 11:2957-2972. [PMID: 34729298 PMCID: PMC8546663 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2021.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 12/31/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoints are the crucial regulators of immune system and play essential roles in maintaining self-tolerance, preventing autoimmune responses, and minimizing tissue damage by regulating the duration and intensity of the immune response. Furthermore, immune checkpoints are usually overexpressed in cancer cells or noninvasive cells in tumor tissues and are capable of suppressing the antitumor response. Based on substantial physiological analyses as well as preclinical and clinical studies, checkpoint molecules have been evaluated as potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of multiple types of cancers. In the last few years, extensive evidence has supported the immunoregulatory effects of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs). The main advantage of TCMs and natural medicine is that they usually contain multiple active components, which can act on multiple targets at the same time, resulting in additive or synergistic effects. The strong immune regulation function of traditional Chinese medicine on immune checkpoints has also been of great interest. For example, Astragalus membranaceus polysaccharides can induce anti-PD-1 antibody responses in animals, and these antibodies can overcome the exhaustion of immune cells under tumor immune evasion. Furthermore, many other TCM molecules could also be novel and effective drug candidates for the treatment of cancers. Therefore, it is essential to assess the application of immune checkpoints in the development of new drugs and TCMs. In this review, we focus on research progress in the field of immune checkpoints based on three topics: (1) immune checkpoint targets and pathways, (2) development of novel immune checkpoint-based drugs, and (3) application of immune checkpoints in the development of TCMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuli Wang
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemistry Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Delivery Technology and Pharmacokinetics, Tianjin Institute of Pharmaceutical Research, Tianjin 300193 China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Quality-Marker of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Tianjin Institute of Pharmaceutical Research, Tianjin 300193 China
| | - Xingyan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Delivery Technology and Pharmacokinetics, Tianjin Institute of Pharmaceutical Research, Tianjin 300193 China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Quality-Marker of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Tianjin Institute of Pharmaceutical Research, Tianjin 300193 China
- Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 300193 China
| | - Yuyan Wang
- The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Thoracic Medical Oncology, Beijing Institute of Cancer Research, Beijing 100142 China
| | - Wenjing Zhao
- Department of Pharmacology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Huling Li
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Delivery Technology and Pharmacokinetics, Tianjin Institute of Pharmaceutical Research, Tianjin 300193 China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Quality-Marker of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Tianjin Institute of Pharmaceutical Research, Tianjin 300193 China
| | - Lixing Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemistry Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Xinping Li
- MITRO Biotech Co., Ltd., Nanjing 211100, China
| | - Tiejun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Delivery Technology and Pharmacokinetics, Tianjin Institute of Pharmaceutical Research, Tianjin 300193 China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Quality-Marker of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Tianjin Institute of Pharmaceutical Research, Tianjin 300193 China
| | - Hongbing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Delivery Technology and Pharmacokinetics, Tianjin Institute of Pharmaceutical Research, Tianjin 300193 China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Quality-Marker of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Tianjin Institute of Pharmaceutical Research, Tianjin 300193 China
| | - He Huang
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemistry Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Changxiao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Delivery Technology and Pharmacokinetics, Tianjin Institute of Pharmaceutical Research, Tianjin 300193 China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Quality-Marker of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Tianjin Institute of Pharmaceutical Research, Tianjin 300193 China
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Wang Y, Zhang Q, Chen Y, Liang CL, Liu H, Qiu F, Dai Z. Antitumor effects of immunity-enhancing traditional Chinese medicine. Biomed Pharmacother 2019; 121:109570. [PMID: 31710893 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2019.109570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Revised: 10/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/20/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been traditionally used to treat patients with cancers in China. It not only alleviates the symptoms of tumor patients and improves their quality of life, but also controls the size of tumors and prolongs the survival of tumor patients. While some herbs of TCM may exert therapeutic effects by directly targeting cancer cells or reducing side effects caused by antitumor drugs, others can control tumor growth and metastasis via enhancing antitumor immunity. In particular, TCM can exert antitumor effects by upregulating immune responses even in immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. For instance, it reduces the number of M2-type macrophages and Treg cells in the tumor tissue. Although extensive reviews on directly killing cancer cells by TCM have been conducted, a review of anticancer activity of TCM solely based on its immunity-enhancing capacity is unusual. This review will summarize research progress of antitumor TCM that regulates the immune system, including both innate immunity, such as macrophages, dendritic cells, natural killer cells and MDSCs, and adaptive immunity, including CD4+/CD8+ T lymphocytes, regulatory T cells (Tregs) and B cells. As cancer immunotherapy has recently achieved certain success, it is expected that the clinical applications of immunity-enhancing TCM or traditional medicine for treating various cancer patients will be expanded. Further studies on the mechanisms by which TCM regulates immunity will provide new insights into how TCM controls tumor growth and metastasis, and may help improve its therapeutic effects on various cancers in clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeshu Wang
- Section of Immunology & Joint Immunology Program, the Second Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, and Guangdong Provincial Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, China
| | - Qunfang Zhang
- Section of Immunology & Joint Immunology Program, the Second Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, and Guangdong Provincial Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, China
| | - Yuchao Chen
- Section of Immunology & Joint Immunology Program, the Second Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, and Guangdong Provincial Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, China
| | - Chun-Ling Liang
- Section of Immunology & Joint Immunology Program, the Second Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, and Guangdong Provincial Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, China
| | - Huazhen Liu
- Section of Immunology & Joint Immunology Program, the Second Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, and Guangdong Provincial Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, China
| | - Feifei Qiu
- Section of Immunology & Joint Immunology Program, the Second Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, and Guangdong Provincial Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, China
| | - Zhenhua Dai
- Section of Immunology & Joint Immunology Program, the Second Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, and Guangdong Provincial Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, China.
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Tang H, Shu P, Liu S, Zhang X, Mattioli-Belmonte M. Traditional Chinese Medicine in Oncotherapy: The Research Status. Nutr Cancer 2019; 72:992-998. [PMID: 31526143 DOI: 10.1080/01635581.2019.1664599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
In China, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) plays a vital role in the comprehensive treatment of cancer. As an auxiliary and supplement of major treatment modalities for cancer such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, both clinical observations and biomolecular research have confirmed the therapeutic efficacy of TCM in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huijuan Tang
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, Università Politenica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy.,First College of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Peng Shu
- Department of Oncology, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Shenlin Liu
- Department of Oncology, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Xu Zhang
- First College of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Monica Mattioli-Belmonte
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, Università Politenica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy
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