Department of General Biophysics, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Pomorska 141/143, 90-237 Łódź, Poland.
Department of Cytobiochemistry, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Pomorska 141/143, 90-237 Łódź, Poland.
Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Dec 20;22(24):13659. doi: 10.3390/ijms222413659.
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in humans. Despite rapid developments in diagnostic methods and therapies, metastasis and resistance to administrated drugs are the main obstacles to successful treatment. Therefore, the main challenge should be the diagnosis and design of optimal therapeutic strategies for patients to increase their chances of responding positively to treatment and increase their life expectancy. In many types of cancer, a deregulation of multiple pathways has been found. This includes disturbances in cellular metabolism, cell cycle, apoptosis, angiogenesis, or epigenetic modifications. Additionally, signals received from the microenvironment may significantly contribute to cancer development. Chemical agents obtained from natural sources seem to be very attractive alternatives to synthetic compounds. They can exhibit similar anti-cancer potential, usually with reduced side effects. It was reported that natural compounds obtained from fruits and vegetables, e.g., polyphenols, flavonoids, stilbenes, carotenoids and acetogenins, might be effective against cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Several published results indicate the activity of natural compounds on protein expression by its influence on transcription factors. They could also be involved in alterations in cellular response, cell signaling and epigenetic modifications. Such natural components could be used in our diet for anti-cancer protection. In this review, the activities of natural compounds, including anti-cancer properties, are described. The influence of natural agents on cancer cell metabolism, proliferation, signal transduction and epigenetic modifications is highlighted.
癌症是人类的第二大死亡原因。尽管诊断方法和治疗技术迅速发展，但转移和对给药药物的耐药性仍是成功治疗的主要障碍。因此，主要的挑战应该是为患者诊断和设计最佳的治疗策略，以增加他们对治疗产生积极反应并延长预期寿命的机会。在许多类型的癌症中，已经发现了多种途径的失调。这包括细胞代谢、细胞周期、细胞凋亡、血管生成或表观遗传修饰的紊乱。此外，来自微环境的信号可能对癌症的发展有重大贡献。从天然来源获得的化学物质似乎是合成化合物的非常有吸引力的替代品。它们可以表现出相似的抗癌潜力，通常副作用较小。据报道，从水果和蔬菜中获得的天然化合物，如多酚、类黄酮、白藜芦醇、类胡萝卜素和乙酰氧基生物，可能对体外和体内的癌细胞有效。一些已发表的结果表明，天然化合物通过影响转录因子对蛋白质表达的活性。它们也可能参与细胞反应、细胞信号和表观遗传修饰的改变。这些天然成分可以在我们的饮食中用于抗癌保护。在这篇综述中，描述了包括抗癌特性在内的天然化合物的活性。强调了天然剂对癌细胞代谢、增殖、信号转导和表观遗传修饰的影响。
