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Tocotrienols Modulate a Life or Death Decision in Cancers

Shiau-Ying Tham1, Hwei-San Loh2,3, Chun-Wai Mai4,5

  • 1School of Biosciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, Jalan Broga, Semenyih 43500, Selangor, Malaysia. ShiauYing.Tham@nottingham.edu.my.

International Journal of Molecular Sciences
|January 19, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Tocotrienols, a form of vitamin E, show promise as multitargeted anticancer agents by inducing cancer cell death and inhibiting survival pathways. Further research could lead to new clinical applications for this promising cancer treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Oncology
  • Nutritional Biochemistry

Background:

  • Cancer develops from complex molecular defects, often characterized by resistance to cell death and enhanced survival.
  • Current single-target cancer therapies are insufficient due to cancer's adaptability.
  • Multitargeted agents addressing both cell death and survival pathways offer a promising therapeutic strategy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the potential of tocotrienols as anticancer agents.
  • To explore tocotrienols' role in modulating cancer cell fate by influencing cell death and survival.
  • To highlight tocotrienols' mechanisms of action against cancer.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review focusing on tocotrienols' effects on cancer cell death and survival pathways.
  • Analysis of tocotrienols' induction of apoptosis and autophagy.
  • Examination of tocotrienols' impact on key survival signaling pathways including NF-κB, PI3K/Akt, MAPK, and Wnt.

Main Results:

  • Tocotrienols, a vitamin E subclass, exhibit anticancer properties by inducing multiple cell death mechanisms.
  • These compounds effectively target key cancer cell survival pathways.
  • Specific cell death pathways influenced include apoptosis and autophagy.

Conclusions:

  • Tocotrienols represent a potential multitargeted anticancer agent by influencing cancer cell life-or-death decisions.
  • Understanding tocotrienols' effects on apoptosis, autophagy, and survival pathways is crucial.
  • Further mechanistic research and rational drug design can foster clinical applications of tocotrienols.
Keywords:
apoptosisautophagycancercell deathcell survivaltocotrienols

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