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Cepharanthine as a Biofactor: Molecular Functions, Signaling Pathway Modulation and Therapeutic Relevance in Cancer
Hector Hernández Parra1,2, Héctor Adrián García-Gasca1,2, Sheila Iraís Peña-Corona1
1Departamento de Farmacia, Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico.
Biofactors (Oxford, England)
|November 28, 2025
Summary
Cepharanthine, a natural alkaloid, demonstrates significant anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-viral properties. This compound also shows potential in reversing multidrug resistance, offering new avenues for cancer therapy.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Natural Products Chemistry
- Medicinal Chemistry
Background:
- Natural products are crucial in drug discovery, offering diverse chemical scaffolds and biological activities.
- Cepharanthine (CEP), a bisbenzyl-isoquinoline alkaloid from the Stephania genus, is recognized for its extensive biological relevance.
- Existing literature highlights the therapeutic potential of cepharanthine across various medical conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To comprehensively review and synthesize the known biological activities and therapeutic applications of cepharanthine.
- To highlight cepharanthine's potential in drug discovery, particularly its role in overcoming multidrug resistance.
- To consolidate research findings on cepharanthine for enhanced scientific understanding.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature search across multiple scientific databases for keywords related to cepharanthine.
- Inclusion and exclusion criteria applied to select relevant research articles.
- Duplicate removal by two independent reviewers to ensure data integrity.
Main Results:
- Cepharanthine exhibits a broad spectrum of biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-viral, and anti-cancer effects.
- The alkaloid has been clinically utilized for treating conditions such as venomous snakebites.
- A key finding is cepharanthine's demonstrated ability to reverse multidrug resistance (MDR) in cancer cells.
Conclusions:
- Cepharanthine is a valuable natural product with diverse pharmacological properties and significant therapeutic potential.
- Its ability to combat multidrug resistance makes it a promising candidate for novel cancer treatment strategies.
- Further research into cepharanthine could unlock new applications in medicine and drug development.
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