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Ghosh S, Das SK, Sinha K, Ghosh B, Sen K, Ghosh N, Sil PC. The Emerging Role of Natural Products in Cancer Treatment. Arch Toxicol 2024; 98:2353-2391. [PMID: 38795134 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-024-03786-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/27/2024]
Abstract
The exploration of natural products as potential agents for cancer treatment has garnered significant attention in recent years. In this comprehensive review, we delve into the diverse array of natural compounds, including alkaloids, carbohydrates, flavonoids, lignans, polyketides, saponins, tannins, and terpenoids, highlighting their emerging roles in cancer therapy. These compounds, derived from various botanical sources, exhibit a wide range of mechanisms of action, targeting critical pathways involved in cancer progression such as cell proliferation, apoptosis, angiogenesis, and metastasis. Through a meticulous examination of preclinical and clinical studies, we provide insights into the therapeutic potential of these natural products across different cancer types. Furthermore, we discuss the advantages and challenges associated with their use in cancer treatment, emphasizing the need for further research to optimize their efficacy, pharmacokinetics, and delivery methods. Overall, this review underscores the importance of natural products in advancing cancer therapeutics and paves the way for future investigations into their clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumit Ghosh
- Department of Zoology, Ramakrishna Mission Vidyamandira, Belur Math, Howrah, 711202, India
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Bose Institute, Kolkata, 700054, India
| | - Sanjib Kumar Das
- Department of Zoology, Jhargram Raj College, Jhargram, 721507, India
| | - Krishnendu Sinha
- Department of Zoology, Jhargram Raj College, Jhargram, 721507, India.
| | - Biswatosh Ghosh
- Department of Zoology, Bidhannagar College, Kolkata, 700064, India
| | - Koushik Sen
- Department of Zoology, Jhargram Raj College, Jhargram, 721507, India
| | - Nabanita Ghosh
- Department of Zoology, Maulana Azad College, Kolkata, 700013, India
| | - Parames C Sil
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Bose Institute, Kolkata, 700054, India.
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Zhou Y, Cao G, Guan Z, Mao C. Chordin-Like 2: A Possible Therapeutic Target for Gastric Cancer by Affecting Cell Cycle and Proliferation. JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY 2022; 2022:4607715. [PMID: 36397762 PMCID: PMC9666038 DOI: 10.1155/2022/4607715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 09/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study aimed to examine the role of chordin-like 2 (CHRDL2) in gastric cancer. METHODS The Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) datasets were screened and the differentially expressed gene CHRDL2 was identified. The CHRDL2 expression was examined in the Human Protein Atlas and TCGA. Clinical data on gastric cancer were evaluated for their association with CHRDL2 by using TCGA and KM-plotter databases. The possible relationship amongst CHRDL2, immune cells, and related genes was investigated via the TIMER database. Enrichment analysis was performed using GO and KEGG pathways to explore the mechanisms. RESULTS Screening of databases revealed that CHRDL2 was a differentially expressed gene. An increase in cytoplasmic CHRDL2 expression was found in cancer tissues compared with the surrounding normal tissues. The data, together with those from TCGA and the KM-plotter databases, showed that patients with gastric cancer with high level of CHRDL2 have worse prognosis than those with low expression. A strong correlation was found between CHRDL2 expression and T stage, race, pathological grade, and pathological type according to clinical data analysis. CHRDL2 expression is linked to immune infiltration, as shown by the TIMER database. The data suggested that CHRDL2 plays a pivotal role in the tumor microenvironment of gastric cancer and might help tumor cells evade the immune system. Gene set enrichment analysis showed that CHRDL2 is involved in the chemokine signaling route, the intestinal immune network, the MAPK pathway, cell cycle, and the PI3K-Akt signaling system that are associated with the pathological processes of gastric cancer. CONCLUSION Patients with gastric cancer with decreased CHRDL2 levels have dramatically improved OS, PFS, and PPS. CHRDL2 plays a pivotal role in enabling tumor cell immune evasion in tumor microenvironment, suggesting a function of this gene in the development of gastric cancer and its immune infiltration. Interfering with CHRDL2 may slow down the development of this malignancy by affecting cell cycle and apoptosis pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Zhou
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Tumor Hospital Affiliated to Nantong University, Nantong Tumor Hospital, Nantong, China
| | - Guangxin Cao
- Department of General Surgery, Tumor Hospital Affiliated to Nantong University & Nantong Tumor Hospital, Nantong, Jiangsu 226300, China
| | - Zhifeng Guan
- Department of Radiotherapy, Tumor Hospital Affiliated to Nantong University, Nantong Tumor Hospital, Nantong, China
| | - Cui Mao
- Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Nantong Hospital 3 of Nantong University, Nantong, China
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S. M. S, Naveen NR, Rao GSNK, Gopan G, Chopra H, Park MN, Alshahrani MM, Jose J, Emran TB, Kim B. A spotlight on alkaloid nanoformulations for the treatment of lung cancer. Front Oncol 2022; 12:994155. [PMID: 36330493 PMCID: PMC9623325 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.994155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Numerous naturally available phytochemicals have potential anti-cancer activities due to their vast structural diversity. Alkaloids have been extensively used in cancer treatment, especially lung cancers, among the plant-based compounds. However, their utilization is limited by their poor solubility, low bioavailability, and inadequacies such as lack of specificity to cancer cells and indiscriminate distribution in the tissues. Incorporating the alkaloids into nanoformulations can overcome the said limitations paving the way for effective delivery of the alkaloids to the site of action in sufficient concentrations, which is crucial in tumor targeting. Our review attempts to assess whether alkaloid nanoformulation can be an effective tool in lung cancer therapy. The mechanism of action of each alkaloid having potential is explored in great detail in the review. In general, Alkaloids suppress oncogenesis by modulating several signaling pathways involved in multiplication, cell cycle, and metastasis, making them significant component of many clinical anti-cancerous agents. The review also explores the future prospects of alkaloid nanoformulation in lung cancer. So, in conclusion, alkaloid based nanoformulation will emerge as a potential gamechanger in treating lung cancer in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sindhoor S. M.
- Department of Pharmaceutics, P.A. College of Pharmacy, Mangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - N. Raghavendra Naveen
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Sri Adichunchanagiri College of Pharmacy, Adichunchanagiri University, B. G. Nagar, Karnataka, India
| | - GSN Koteswara Rao
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Medical and Allied Sciences, Galgotias University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Gopika Gopan
- Department of Pharmaceutics, NGSM Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nitte (Deemed to be University), Mangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Hitesh Chopra
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Rajpura, Punjab, India
| | - Moon Nyeo Park
- Department of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Mohammed Merae Alshahrani
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia
| | - Jobin Jose
- Department of Pharmaceutics, NGSM Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nitte (Deemed to be University), Mangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Talha Bin Emran
- Department of Pharmacy, BGC Trust University Bangladesh, Chittagong, Bangladesh
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Daffodil International University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Bonglee Kim
- Department of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea
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Lu L, Huang R, Wu Y, Jin JM, Chen HZ, Zhang LJ, Luan X. Brucine: A Review of Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, and Toxicology. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:377. [PMID: 32308621 PMCID: PMC7145893 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.00377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Brucine, a weak alkaline indole alkaloid, is one of the main bioactive and toxic constituents of Nux-vomica. Modern pharmacology studies and clinical practice demonstrate that brucine possesses wide pharmacological activities, such as anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and the effects on cardiovascular system and nervous system, etc. However, its central nervous system toxicity severely limits its clinical application. Herein, the physicochemical properties, pharmacological activities, and toxicity of brucine were reviewed, and the novel strategies to address the toxicity issues were discussed, aiming to bring new insights into further research and application of this active component.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Lu
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Biomedical Research, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Rui Huang
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Biomedical Research, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ye Wu
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Biomedical Research, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jin-Mei Jin
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Biomedical Research, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Hong-Zhuan Chen
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Biomedical Research, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Li-Jun Zhang
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Biomedical Research, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Li-Jun Zhang, ; Xin Luan,
| | - Xin Luan
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Biomedical Research, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Li-Jun Zhang, ; Xin Luan,
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Brucine Suppresses Vasculogenic Mimicry in Human Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cell Line MDA-MB-231. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2019; 2019:6543230. [PMID: 30723742 PMCID: PMC6339755 DOI: 10.1155/2019/6543230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2018] [Revised: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 12/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Vasculogenic mimicry (VM) with the pattern of endothelial independent tubular structure formation lined by aggressive tumor cells mimics regular tumor blood vessels to ensure robust blood supply and correlates with the proliferation, invasion, metastasis, and poor prognosis of malignant tumors, which was demonstrated to be a major obstacle for resistance to antiangiogenesis therapy. Therefore, it is urgent to discover methods to abrogate the VM formation of tumors, which possesses important practical significance for improving tumor therapy. Brucine is a traditional medicinal herb extracted from seeds of Strychnos nux-vomica L. (Loganiaceae) exhibiting antitumor activity in a variety of cancer models. In the present study, the effect of brucine on vasculogenic mimicry and the related mechanism are to be investigated. We demonstrated that, in a triple-negative breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231, brucine induced a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on cell proliferation along with apoptosis induction at higher concentrations. The further study showed that brucine inhibited cell migration and invasion with a dose-dependent manner. Our results for the first time indicated that brucine could disrupt F-actin cytoskeleton and microtubule structure, thereby impairing hallmarks of aggressive tumors, like migration, invasion, and holding a possibility of suppressing vasculogenic mimicry. Hence, the inhibitory effect of brucine on vasculogenic mimicry was further verified. The results illustrated that brucine significantly suppressed vasculogenic mimicry tube formation with a dose-dependent effect indicated by the change of the number of tubules, intersections, and mean length of tubules. The in-depth molecular mechanism of vasculogenic mimicry suppression induced by brucine was finally suggested. It was demonstrated that brucine inhibited vasculogenic mimicry which might be through the downregulation of erythropoietin-producing hepatocellular carcinoma-A2 and matrix metalloproteinase-2 and metalloproteinase-9.
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Emerging Cytotoxic Alkaloids in the Battle against Cancer: Overview of Molecular Mechanisms. Molecules 2017; 22:molecules22020250. [PMID: 28208712 PMCID: PMC6155614 DOI: 10.3390/molecules22020250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2016] [Revised: 02/01/2017] [Accepted: 02/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Considered as the second deadliest disease globally, cancer has captured the attention of researchers who have been trying with perseverance to decode its hidden aspects, to find new prognosis methods, and to develop better and more effective treatments. Plants have continuously offered an excess of unique secondary metabolites with remarkable biological applications. Alkaloids, one of the most abundant metabolites, constitute a large conglomerate of basic heterocyclic nitrogen-containing natural compounds which are normally produced by plants as toxic substances. Out of the 27,000 different alkaloids, more than 17,000 have displayed diversified pharmacological properties including anticancer activities. These metabolites have been classified either according to their chemical structures or their taxonomic origin. None of the researched alkaloids have been classified according to their molecular mechanism of action against cancer. In fact, only a fraction of the tremendous number of anticancer alkaloids has been copiously mentioned in journals. Here, we aim to provide a summary of the literature on some of the promising anticancer alkaloids that have not been well discussed previously and to classify them according to their molecular mechanisms of action. This review will provide a better understanding of the anticancer mechanisms of these promising natural products that are a rich reservoir for drug discovery.
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