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Emerging role of natural products in cancer immunotherapy

Songtao Dong1, Xiangnan Guo1, Fei Han2

  • 1Department of Pharmaceutics, Wuya College of Innovation, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China.

Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica. B
|May 9, 2022
PubMed

Cancer immunotherapy has become a new generation of anti-tumor treatment, but its indications still focus on several types of tumors that are sensitive to the immune system. Therefore, effective strategies that can expand its indications and enhance its efficiency become the key element for the further development of cancer immunotherapy. Natural products are reported to have this effect on cancer immunotherapy, including cancer vaccines, immune-check points inhibitors, and adoptive immune-cells therapy. And the mechanism of that is mainly attributed to the remodeling of the tumor-immunosuppressive microenvironment, which is the key factor that assists tumor to avoid the recognition and attack from immune system and cancer immunotherapy. Therefore, this review summarizes and concludes the natural products that reportedly improve cancer immunotherapy and investigates the mechanism. And we found that saponins, polysaccharides, and flavonoids are mainly three categories of natural products, which reflected significant effects combined with cancer immunotherapy through reversing the tumor-immunosuppressive microenvironment. Besides, this review also collected the studies about nano-technology used to improve the disadvantages of natural products. All of these studies showed the great potential of natural products in cancer immunotherapy.

Keywords:
AKT, alpha-serine/threonine-specific protein kinaseAdoptive immune-cells transfer immunotherapyB2M, beta-2-microglobulinBMDCs, bone marrow dendritic cellsBPS, basil polysaccharideBTLA, B- and T-lymphocyte attenuatorCAFs, cancer-associated fibroblastsCCL22, C–C motif chemokine 22CIKs, cytokine-induced killer cellsCOX-2, cyclooxygenase-2CRC, colorectal cancerCTL, cytotoxic T cellCTLA-4, cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4Cancer immunotherapyCancer vaccinesDAMPs, damage-associated molecular patternsDCs, dendritic cellsFDA, US Food and Drug AdministrationHCC, hepatocellular carcinomaHER-2, human epidermal growth factor receptor-2HIF-1α, hypoxia-inducible factor-1αHMGB1, high-mobility group box 1HSPs, heat shock proteinsICD, Immunogenic cell deathICTs, immunological checkpointsIFN-γ, interferon γIL-10, interleukin-10Immuno-check pointsImmunosuppressive microenvironmentLLC, Lewis lung cancerMDSCs, myeloid-derived suppressor cellsMHC, major histocompatibility complex classMITF, melanogenesis associated transcription factorMMP-9, matrix metalloprotein-9Mcl-1, myeloid leukemia cell differentiation protein 1NF-κB, nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cellsNKTs, natural killer T cellsNSCLC, non-small cell lung cancerNatural productsOVA, ovalbuminPD-1, programmed death-1PD-L1, programmed death receptor ligand 1PGE-2, prostaglandin E2PI3K, phosphoinositide 3-kinaseROS, reactive oxygen speciesSTAT3, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3TAMs, tumor-associated macrophagesTAP, transporters related with antigen processingTGF-β, transforming growth factor-βTILs, tumor infiltration lymphocytesTLR, Toll-like receptorTNF-α, tumor necrosis factor αTSA, tumor specific antigensTeffs, effective T cellsTh1, T helper type 1Tregs, regulatory T cellsVEGF, vascular endothelial growth factorbFGF, basic fibroblast growth factormTOR, mechanistic target of rapamycin

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