Anticancer natural products targeting immune checkpoint protein network

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Immunology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Cancer cells exploit immune checkpoints (e.g., CTLA-4, PD-1/PD-L1) to evade immune surveillance.
• Current immunotherapies targeting these checkpoints show limitations, with low response rates.
• Novel immune checkpoint targets are being identified to overcome treatment resistance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the regulatory effects of phytochemicals on the immune checkpoint network.
• To explore the potential of phytochemicals in combination with existing immunotherapies.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of studies on phytochemicals and immune checkpoints.
• Analysis of in vitro and in vivo models investigating anti-tumor effects of natural compounds.
• Examination of research on synergistic effects of phytochemicals with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Main Results:

• Phytochemicals demonstrate anti-tumor activities by modulating immune checkpoint signaling pathways.
• Selected natural compounds can block interactions or regulate expression of immune checkpoint proteins.
• Synergistic anti-cancer effects are reported for combinations of phytochemicals with anti-PD-1/PD-L1 and anti-CTLA-4 therapies.

Conclusions:

• Phytochemicals represent a promising avenue for enhancing cancer immunotherapy.
• Targeting novel immune checkpoints with natural compounds could improve therapeutic outcomes.
• Combinatorial approaches using phytochemicals and immune checkpoint inhibitors warrant further investigation.