A Concise Review on Natural Products and Their Derivatives for Breast Cancer Treatment

Potential Application of Self-Assembled Peptides and Proteins in Breast Cancer and Cervical Cancer

Ongoing research is gradually broadening the idea of cancer treatment, with attention being focused on nanoparticles to improve the stability, therapeutic efficacy, targeting, and other important metrics of conventional drugs and traditional drug delivery methods. Studies have demonstrated that drug delivery carriers based on biomaterials (e.g., protein nanoparticles and lipids) and inorganic materials (e.g., metal nanoparticles) have potential anticancer effects. Among these carriers, self-assembled proteins and peptides, which are highly biocompatible and easy to standardize and produce, are strong candidates for the preparation of anticancer drugs. Breast cancer (BC) and cervical cancer (CC) are two of the most common and deadly cancers in women. These cancers not only threaten lives globally but also put a heavy burden on the healthcare system. Despite advances in medical care, the incidence of these two cancers, particularly CC, which is almost entirely preventable, continues to rise, and the mortality rate remains steady. Therefore, there is still a need for in-depth research on these two cancers to develop more targeted, efficacious, and safe therapies. This paper reviews the types of self-assembling proteins and peptides (e.g., ferritin, albumin, and virus-like particles) and natural products (e.g., soy and paclitaxel) commonly used in the treatment of BC and CC and describes the types of drugs that can be delivered using self-assembling proteins and peptides as carriers (e.g., siRNAs, DNA, plasmids, and mRNAs). The mechanisms (including self-assembly) by which the natural products act on CC and BC are discussed. The mechanism of action of natural products on CC and BC and the mechanism of action of self-assembled proteins and peptides have many similarities (e.g., NF-KB and Wnt). Thus, natural products using self-assembled proteins and peptides as carriers show potential for the treatment of BC and CC.

Berberine: An inspiring resource for the treatment of colorectal diseases

Colorectal cancer is a prevalent malignant tumor with a complex and diverse pathogenesis. In recent years, natural products have shown promising application prospects as sources of anticancer drugs. BBR, a class of benzoquinoline alkaloids extracted from various plants, is widely used in disease treatments owing to its pharmacological activities, including antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, and anti-angiogenesis properties. Research has demonstrated that BBR exerts an anti-Salmonella and -Escherichia coli infection effect, attenuating inflammatory reactions by inhibiting harmful bacteria. During the stage of colorectal precancerous lesions, BBR inhibits the activity of cell cyclin by regulating the PI3K/AKT, MAPK, and Wnt signaling pathways, thereby decelerating the cell cycle progression of polyp or adenoma cells. Moreover, the inhibitory effect of BBR on colorectal cancer primarily occurs through the regulation of the cancer cell cycle, anti-angiogenesis, gut microbiota, and antioxidant pathways. The specific involved pathways include the MPK/ERK, NF-kB, and EGFR signaling pathways, encompassing the regulation of Bcl-2 family proteins, vascular endothelial growth factor, and superoxide dismutase. This study reviews and summarizes, for the first time, the specific mechanisms of action of BBR in the carcinogenesis process of colorectal cancer, providing novel insights for its clinical application in intestinal diseases.