Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 12, 2025

Cellular Membrane Affinity Chromatography Columns to Identify Specialized Plant Metabolites Interacting with Immobilized Tropomyosin Kinase Receptor B
11:44

Cellular Membrane Affinity Chromatography Columns to Identify Specialized Plant Metabolites Interacting with Immobilized Tropomyosin Kinase Receptor B

Published on: January 19, 2022

2.5K

Discovery of Natural Products for Cancer Prevention

Peter J Blanco Carcache1, Steven K Clinton, A Douglas Kinghorn

  • 1From the College of Pharmacy and the College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH.

Cancer Journal (Sudbury, Mass.)
|September 23, 2024
PubMed

Insights

This study explores cancer chemoprevention using natural compounds. It reviews five key agents and four plant extracts with demonstrated cancer-inhibiting properties in laboratory bioassays.

Area of Science:

  • Natural product chemistry
  • Pharmacology
  • Oncology

Background:

  • Cancer chemoprevention involves using non-toxic compounds to slow or reverse cancer progression.
  • There is a long-standing scientific interest in identifying plant-derived compounds for cancer prevention.
  • Laboratory bioassays (in vitro, ex vivo, in vivo) are crucial for developing chemoprevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review extensively studied plant-derived compounds for cancer chemoprevention.
  • To describe selected active constituents from four specific plant extracts with demonstrated anticancer activity.
  • To highlight the scientific progress in discovering natural agents for cancer prevention.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of established chemopreventive agents.
  • Description of in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo bioassays used in cancer chemoprevention research.
  • Analysis of specific compounds from plant extracts like avocado, noni, açai, and mangosteen.

Main Results:

  • Five key chemopreventive agents are detailed: ellagic acid, isoliquiritigenin, lycopene, trans-resveratrol, and sulforaphane.
  • Avocado, noni, açai, and mangosteen extracts exhibit inhibitory activity against carcinogens in bioassays.
  • Selected in vitro active constituents from these four plant species are identified.

Conclusions:

  • Natural compounds, including specific phytochemicals and plant extracts, show significant promise in cancer chemoprevention.
  • Continued research into plant-derived agents is vital for developing novel strategies against cancer.
  • The reviewed agents and extracts represent valuable leads for further investigation in cancer prevention therapies.

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Exploring Salidroside's Molecular Mechanisms in Breast Cancer Treatment11:13

Author Spotlight: Exploring Salidroside's Molecular Mechanisms in Breast Cancer Treatment

Published on: June 9, 2023

1.5K
Preclinical Assessment of the Bioactivity of the Anticancer Coumarin OT48 by Spheroids, Colony Formation Assays, and Zebrafish Xenografts09:20

Preclinical Assessment of the Bioactivity of the Anticancer Coumarin OT48 by Spheroids, Colony Formation Assays, and Zebrafish Xenografts

Published on: June 26, 2018

8.4K

Related Concept Videos

Cancer Prevention02:59

Cancer Prevention

Several factors can increase the risk of cancer in an individual. About 50% of cancer cases can be prevented by adopting a healthy lifestyle, regular exercise, eating healthy, and following a modest cancer prevention diet. Epidemiological studies have consistently shown that populations with vegetable and fruit-rich diets have reduced the incidence of cancer. On the other hand, populations who have a diet rich in animal fat, red meat, junk food, or high calories are predisposed to cancer.
Some...
6.1K
Cancer-Critical Genes II: Tumor Suppressor Genes01:05

Cancer-Critical Genes II: Tumor Suppressor Genes

Genes usually encode proteins necessary for the proper functioning of a healthy cell. Mutations can often cause changes to the gene expression pattern, thereby altering the phenotype.
When the function of certain critical genes, especially those involved in cell cycle regulation and cell growth signaling cascades, gets disrupted, it upsets the cell cycle progression. Such cells with unchecked cell cycles start proliferating uncontrollably and eventually develop into tumors.
Such genes that act...
7.3K
Inhibition of Cdk Activity02:34

Inhibition of Cdk Activity

The orderly progression of the cell cycle depends on the activation of Cdk protein by binding to its cyclin partner. However, the cell cycle must be restricted when undergoing abnormal changes. Most cancers correlate to the deregulated cell cycle, and since Cdks are a central component of the cell cycle, Cdk inhibitors are extensively studied to develop anticancer agents. For instance, cyclin D associates with several Cdks, such as Cdk 4/6, to form an active complex. The cyclin D-Cdk4/6 complex...
4.7K
Cancer-Critical Genes I: Proto-oncogenes01:33

Cancer-Critical Genes I: Proto-oncogenes

Genes usually encode proteins necessary for the proper functioning of a healthy cell. Mutations can often cause changes to the gene expression pattern, thereby altering the phenotype.
When the function of certain critical genes, especially those involved in cell cycle regulation and cell growth signaling cascades, gets disrupted, it upsets the cell cycle progression. Such cells with unchecked cell cycles start proliferating uncontrollably and eventually develop into tumors.
Such genes that act...
8.7K
Targeted Cancer Therapies02:57

Targeted Cancer Therapies

The targeted cancer therapies, also known as “molecular targeted therapies,” take advantage of the molecular and genetic differences between the cancer cells and the normal cells. It needs a thorough understanding of the cancer cells to develop drugs that can target specific molecular aspects that drive the growth, progression, and spread of cancer cells without affecting the growth and survival of other normal cells in the body.
There are several types of targeted therapies against...
7.5K
Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine02:50

Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine

Combining two or more treatment methods increases the life span of cancer patients while reducing damage to vital organs or tissue from the overuse of a single treatment. Combination therapy also targets different cancer-inducing pathways, thus reducing the chances of developing resistance to treatment.
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...
4.9K