Tanshinone II-A: new perspectives for old remedies

Tanshinone II-A (TSN) is the most abundant diterpene quinone isolated from Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza), which has been used in treating cardiovascular diseases for more than 2000 years in China. Interest in its versatile protective effects in cardiovascular, metabolic, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancers has been growing over the last decade. TSN is a multi-target drug, whose molecular targets include transcription factors, scavenger receptors, ion channels, kinases, pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins, growth factors, inflammatory mediators, microRNA, and others. More recently, enhanced or synergistic effects can be observed when TSN is used in combination therapy with cardioprotective and anti-cancer drugs. These combination therapy regimens may open new therapeutic avenues for the treatment of various kinds of human diseases.