Herbal Therapies for Cancer Treatment: A Review of Phytotherapeutic Efficacy

Herbal Therapies for Cancer Treatment: A Review of Phytotherapeutic Efficacy

2024 | Andrej Jenča, David K Mills, Hadis Ghasemi, Elham Saberian, Andrej Jenča, Amir Mohammad Karimi Forood, Adriána Petrášová, Janka Jenčová, Zeinab Jabbari Velisdeh, Hadi Zare-Zardini, Meysam Ebrahimir
Herbal therapies for cancer treatment have shown significant potential due to their diverse chemical structures and bioactive compounds, such as flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, and polyphenols. These compounds exhibit various anticancer properties, including inducing apoptosis, inhibiting cell proliferation, interfering with microtubule formation, acting on topoisomerase targets, inhibiting angiogenesis, modulating signaling pathways, improving the tumor microenvironment, reversing drug resistance, and activating immune cells. Herbal anti-cancer drugs offer therapeutic advantages, particularly selective toxicity against cancer cells, reducing the adverse side effects of conventional chemotherapy. Recent studies and clinical trials highlight the benefits of herbal medicines in alleviating side effects, improving chemotherapy tolerance, and producing synergistic effects with conventional treatments. Examples include SH003, which is safe and potentially effective for solid cancers, and Fucoidan, which has anti-inflammatory properties beneficial for advanced cancer patients. The current research landscape on herbal anticancer agents is extensive, with numerous studies and clinical trials investigating their efficacy, safety, and mechanisms of action in various cancers. Promising developments include polypharmacological approaches, combination therapies, immunomodulation, and quality of life improvements. However, challenges remain in the development and use of natural products as anti-cancer drugs, such as the need for further research into their mechanisms of action, possible drug interactions, and optimal dosing. Standardizing herbal extracts, improving bioavailability, and overcoming regulatory and acceptance hurdles are critical issues. Despite these challenges, the promising anticancer effects and therapeutic benefits of natural products warrant further investigation and development. Multidisciplinary collaboration is essential to advance herbal cancer therapy and integrate these agents into mainstream cancer treatment. Keywords: herbal, anti-cancer, chemotherapy, cancer therapy, drug resistance.Herbal therapies for cancer treatment have shown significant potential due to their diverse chemical structures and bioactive compounds, such as flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, and polyphenols. These compounds exhibit various anticancer properties, including inducing apoptosis, inhibiting cell proliferation, interfering with microtubule formation, acting on topoisomerase targets, inhibiting angiogenesis, modulating signaling pathways, improving the tumor microenvironment, reversing drug resistance, and activating immune cells. Herbal anti-cancer drugs offer therapeutic advantages, particularly selective toxicity against cancer cells, reducing the adverse side effects of conventional chemotherapy. Recent studies and clinical trials highlight the benefits of herbal medicines in alleviating side effects, improving chemotherapy tolerance, and producing synergistic effects with conventional treatments. Examples include SH003, which is safe and potentially effective for solid cancers, and Fucoidan, which has anti-inflammatory properties beneficial for advanced cancer patients. The current research landscape on herbal anticancer agents is extensive, with numerous studies and clinical trials investigating their efficacy, safety, and mechanisms of action in various cancers. Promising developments include polypharmacological approaches, combination therapies, immunomodulation, and quality of life improvements. However, challenges remain in the development and use of natural products as anti-cancer drugs, such as the need for further research into their mechanisms of action, possible drug interactions, and optimal dosing. Standardizing herbal extracts, improving bioavailability, and overcoming regulatory and acceptance hurdles are critical issues. Despite these challenges, the promising anticancer effects and therapeutic benefits of natural products warrant further investigation and development. Multidisciplinary collaboration is essential to advance herbal cancer therapy and integrate these agents into mainstream cancer treatment. Keywords: herbal, anti-cancer, chemotherapy, cancer therapy, drug resistance.
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