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Endophytic fungi: A future prospect for breast cancer therapeutics and drug development

Sherin Varghese1, M S Jisha1, K C Rajeshkumar2

  • 1School of Biosciences, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, 686560, India.

Heliyon
|August 2, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Endophytic fungi from medicinal plants offer a promising source for novel breast cancer treatments. This review highlights their bioactive compounds and potential for developing new anticancer drugs.

Area of Science:

  • Pharmacology
  • Mycology
  • Oncology

Background:

  • Breast cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women globally, necessitating novel therapeutic strategies.
  • Endophytic fungi, symbiotic microorganisms residing within medicinal plants, produce diverse bioactive compounds with significant pharmaceutical potential.
  • These fungal endophytes are increasingly recognized as a valuable resource for discovering new anticancer agents.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the potential of endophytic fungi as a source for developing innovative anticancer agents for breast cancer therapy.
  • To compile and analyze bioactive metabolites from endophytic fungi with demonstrated therapeutic potential against breast cancer from 1990 to 2022.
  • To discuss current trends, challenges, and future prospects in endophyte-based drug discovery for breast cancer.

Main Methods:

  • Comprehensive literature review of scientific databases (e.g., PubMed, Scopus) from 1990 to 2022.
  • Identification and compilation of endophytic fungi and their bioactive metabolites with reported anticancer activity against breast cancer.
  • Analysis of current research trends, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, and multi-omics approaches in endophyte-based drug discovery.

Main Results:

  • A wide array of endophytic fungi from medicinal plants harbor bioactive compounds with potent anticancer activities against breast cancer cell lines.
  • Several key endophytic metabolites have shown promising results in preclinical (in vivo) studies and are progressing towards clinical trials.
  • The review details specific compounds, their sources, mechanisms of action, and efficacy against various breast cancer models.

Conclusions:

  • Endophytic fungi represent a rich and underexplored reservoir for the discovery of novel, effective, and potentially safer anticancer drugs for breast cancer treatment.
  • Integration of advanced technologies like AI and multi-omics can accelerate the identification and development of these fungal-derived therapeutics.
  • Further research and clinical investigations are crucial to fully harness the therapeutic potential of endophytic fungi in combating breast cancer.
Keywords:
Anticancer compoundsBreast cancer– endophytic fungi –medicinal plants

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