Current Progress of Phytomedicine in Glioblastoma Therapy

Fahad Hassan Shah1, Saad Salman2, Jawaria Idrees3

  • 1Centre of Biotechnology and Microbiology, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, 25120, Pakistan. fahad.researcher@outlook.com.

Current Medical Science
|January 11, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Medicinal plants offer promising glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) therapies by targeting complex cancer pathways. Their phytochemicals can overcome chemotherapy resistance, improving glioma prognosis and survival.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Pharmacology
  • Natural Products

Background:

  • Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is an aggressive brain cancer with a poor survival rate.
  • Current chemotherapy faces limitations due to complex cancer signaling pathways, leading to drug resistance, invasiveness, and metastasis.
  • Novel therapeutic strategies are crucial to overcome these challenges and improve patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent literature on medicinal plants and their bioactive compounds used in glioblastoma therapeutics.
  • To highlight the mode of action and pharmacological profiles of these natural compounds against glioma.
  • To explore the potential of phytocompounds in overcoming therapeutic resistance and improving glioma prognosis.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of recent studies on medicinal plants and their application in glioma treatment.
  • Analysis of phytochemicals' mechanisms of action against cancer signaling pathways.
  • Evaluation of the pharmacological profiles of plant-derived compounds in preclinical and clinical settings.

Main Results:

  • Medicinal plants contain diverse phytochemicals with broad-spectrum anti-cancer capabilities.
  • These phytocompounds can modulate anti-cancer pathways, enhance immune responses, and induce apoptosis in glioma cells.
  • Phytochemicals interfere with oncogenic proteins, inhibiting cancer invasiveness, metastasis, angiogenesis, and chemotherapy resistance.

Conclusions:

  • Medicinal plants represent a vital source for developing novel anti-glioma therapies.
  • Phytocompounds offer a promising approach to circumventing therapeutic resistance and preventing glioma recurrence.
  • Further research into plant-derived compounds could lead to improved glioblastoma treatment strategies and patient survival.

Related Concept Videos