Chen Feiyu, Zhong Zhangfeng, Tan Hor Yue, Guo Wei, Zhang Cheng, Tan Chi-Wing, Li Sha, Wang Ning, Feng Yibin
School of Chinese Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
Front Pharmacol. 2020 Mar 18;11:293. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2020.00293. eCollection 2020.
The potential values of Chinese herbal formulas in treating various diseases are well known. In addition to more than 2,000 years of history, herbal medicine is appreciated for its remarkable efficacy in a lot of cases, which warrants a role in public health care worldwide, especially in East Asian countries. Liver cancer is the second most fatal cancer across the world. Recent studies have extensively investigated the chemical profiles and pharmacological effects of Chinese herbal medicine formulas on liver cancer. Either through observational follow-up or experimental studies, multiple herbal formulas have benefits implicated in the management of liver cancer. However, complex composition of each formula imposes restrictions on promoting clinical practice and global recognition. Therefore, understanding the mode of action of Chinese herbal medicine formulas in depth may offer sufficient evidence for their clinical use. This review highlighted the chemical characteristics and molecular mechanisms of actions of prominent Chinese herbal medicine formulas and summarized the correlated findings on the potential use in liver cancer treatment. At last, the present progresses of Chinese herbal medicine formulas in the perspective of clinical trials are discussed.
中药方剂在治疗各种疾病方面的潜在价值是众所周知的。除了拥有两千多年的历史外，草药因其在许多情况下的显著疗效而受到赞赏，这使其在全球公共卫生保健中，尤其是在东亚国家，发挥着一定作用。肝癌是全球第二大致命癌症。最近的研究广泛调查了中药方剂对肝癌的化学特征和药理作用。无论是通过观察性随访还是实验研究，多种中药方剂在肝癌管理方面都具有有益作用。然而，每个方剂的复杂成分对促进临床实践和全球认可都造成了限制。因此，深入了解中药方剂的作用模式可能为其临床应用提供充分证据。本综述重点介绍了著名中药方剂的化学特征和分子作用机制，并总结了其在肝癌治疗潜在用途方面的相关研究结果。最后，从临床试验的角度讨论了中药方剂的当前进展。
