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Quinonoids: Therapeutic Potential for Lung Cancer Treatment
Hua-Zhong Ying1, Chen-Huan Yu1, Hao-Kun Chen1
1Key Laboratory of Experimental Animal and Safety Evaluation, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou 310013, China.
Abstract:
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Owing to its high incidence and mortality, the development and discovery of novel anticancer drugs is of great importance. In recent years, many breakthroughs have been achieved in the search for effective anticancer substances from natural products. Many anticancer drugs used clinically and proven to be effective are derived from natural products. Quinonoids, including naphthoquinones, phenanthrenequinones, benzoquinones, and anthraquinones, constitute a large group of natural bioactive compounds that widely exist in higher and lower plant species. Given that most of these compounds possess anticancer effects, they are applied in many cancer studies, especially in lung cancer research. They can promote apoptosis, induce autophagy, and inhibit proliferation, angiogenesis, and cell invasion and migration. Some drugs can enhance anticancer effects when combined with other drugs. Thus, quinonoids have broad application prospects in the treatment of lung cancer. Here, we summarize the previous studies on the antilung cancer activities of quinonoids together with their underlying mechanisms and analyze the common research targets with different effects so as to provide references for the discovery of quinonoids against lung cancer.
Insights
Quinonoids, natural compounds from plants, show significant potential as lung cancer treatments. Research highlights their ability to fight cancer by promoting cell death and inhibiting tumor growth.
Area of Science:
- Natural Product Chemistry
- Pharmacology
- Oncology
Background:
- Lung cancer remains a leading cause of cancer mortality globally.
- Developing novel anticancer drugs is crucial due to high incidence and mortality rates.
- Natural products are a rich source of effective anticancer agents, with quinonoids being a prominent class.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the anti-lung cancer activities of quinonoids.
- To elucidate the mechanisms of action of quinonoids against lung cancer.
- To identify common research targets for quinonoid-based lung cancer therapies.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on quinonoids and lung cancer.
- Analysis of reported anticancer mechanisms (apoptosis, autophagy, proliferation inhibition, etc.).
- Identification and comparison of molecular targets across different quinonoids.
Main Results:
- Quinonoids exhibit diverse anticancer effects, including promoting apoptosis and inhibiting proliferation, angiogenesis, invasion, and migration.
- These compounds show promise as single agents or in combination therapies.
- Specific quinonoid subclasses like naphthoquinones and anthraquinones are frequently studied.
Conclusions:
- Quinonoids possess broad application prospects for lung cancer treatment.
- Understanding their mechanisms and targets can guide the discovery of new anti-lung cancer drugs.
- Further research is warranted to translate these findings into clinical applications.
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