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Published on: January 19, 2022

Prospects for plant-derived chemopreventive agents exhibiting multiple mechanisms of action

L M Howells1, M M Manson

  • 1Cancer Biomarkers and Prevention Group, Departments of Cancer Studies and Molecular Medicine/Biochemistry, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK. lh28@le.ac.uk

Current Medicinal Chemistry. Anti-Cancer Agents
|July 5, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Plant-derived agents show promise in cancer prevention by targeting multiple cellular pathways. Their multi-site mechanisms offer advantages over single-target drugs and potential in combination cancer therapy.

Area of Science:

  • Phytochemicals and Natural Products
  • Cancer Chemoprevention
  • Molecular Oncology

Background:

  • Epidemiological data strongly supports the chemopreventive potential of plant-derived compounds.
  • Many natural compounds have a long history of human use, suggesting a favorable safety profile.
  • Understanding precise molecular targets is crucial before large-scale clinical trials.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the known and proposed mechanisms of action for plant-derived chemopreventive agents.
  • To highlight the potential of these agents in combination therapy with conventional chemotherapeutics.
  • To address the benefits and challenges of using multi-site agents for long-term cancer prevention and therapy.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on plant-derived agents and their effects on cancer-related cellular processes.
  • Analysis of studies focusing on modulation of apoptosis, proliferation, and angiogenesis.
  • Examination of evidence for multi-site mechanisms of action.

Main Results:

  • Plant-derived agents modulate key cellular signaling pathways involved in cancer, including apoptosis, proliferation, and angiogenesis.
  • The multi-site action of these agents is a key factor in their efficacy, potentially overcoming limitations of single-target drugs.
  • These compounds show promise for combinatorial therapy, potentially reducing toxicity and enhancing efficacy in advanced cancers.

Conclusions:

  • Plant-derived agents represent a promising strategy for cancer chemoprevention due to their multi-target mechanisms.
  • Further research into their precise molecular targets is warranted to optimize their clinical application.
  • Combinatorial approaches using these agents may offer improved therapeutic outcomes for cancer patients.

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