Spirulina and Its Bioactive Compounds as Multi-Target Anticancer Agents: Mechanisms, Immune Modulation, and...

Area of Science:

• Marine natural products
• Cyanobacteria
• Cancer research

Background:

• Current cancer therapies face challenges like toxicity and drug resistance.
• Natural compounds offer multi-target mechanisms and better safety profiles.
• Spirulina (cyanobacterium) possesses diverse biological activities with therapeutic potential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the anticancer and immunomodulatory mechanisms of Spirulina.
• To highlight its potential as an immunotherapeutic and chemoprotective agent.
• To identify limitations and future directions for clinical translation.

Main Methods:

• Review of preclinical studies on Spirulina's anticancer effects.
• Analysis of its mechanisms including apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, and angiogenesis inhibition.
• Evaluation of its immunomodulatory properties and chemoprotective potential.

Main Results:

• Spirulina induces apoptosis via intrinsic/extrinsic pathways and cell cycle arrest.
• It inhibits angiogenesis (VEGF/VEGFR2 axis) and epithelial-mesenchymal transition.
• Spirulina enhances immune cell activity (NK cells, macrophages) and cytokine responses.
• Preclinical data suggests Spirulina may mitigate chemotherapy side effects.

Conclusions:

• Spirulina exhibits significant anticancer and immunomodulatory effects.
• Key bioactive compounds include C-phycocyanin, allophycocyanin, and polysaccharides.
• Clinical translation requires addressing bioavailability, standardization, and conducting clinical trials.