Farabegoli Fulvia, Pinheiro Marina
Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology (FABIT), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
LAQV, Rede de Química e Tecnologia (REQUIMTE), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
Front Pharmacol. 2022 Apr 14;13:809706. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2022.809706. eCollection 2022.
Chemoprevention is a strategy aimed to not only reduce the risk but also delay the development or recurrence of cancer. An ideal chemopreventive agent is not dangerous and ought not to result in side effects or damage to human health. In this context, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is considered a suitable chemopreventive agent, but its clinical use is limited by many factors, namely, the difference in source, administration, individual metabolism, absorption, and distribution. Genetic and dietary differences greatly cause this variability, which has limited the rational use of EGCG in chemoprevention and, particularly, the definition of a safe and efficient concentration. In the present mini review, the main limitations to a complete understanding of the use of EGCG as a chemopreventive agent will be briefly illustrated. This review also indicates the introduction and trialing of lipid-based nanoparticles (NPs) as a proper strategy to deliver EGCG at a well-defined concentration for better investigation of the chemopreventive activity. Finally, some examples of cancers that might benefit from EGCG treatment in different stages of the disease are proposed.
化学预防是一种不仅旨在降低癌症风险，还能延缓癌症发生或复发的策略。理想的化学预防剂不应具有危险性，也不应导致副作用或损害人体健康。在此背景下，表没食子儿茶素-3-没食子酸酯（EGCG）被认为是一种合适的化学预防剂，但其临床应用受到多种因素的限制，即来源、给药方式、个体代谢、吸收和分布的差异。遗传和饮食差异极大地导致了这种变异性，这限制了EGCG在化学预防中的合理使用，特别是安全有效浓度的确定。在本综述中，将简要阐述全面了解EGCG作为化学预防剂使用的主要限制因素。本综述还指出，引入并试验基于脂质的纳米颗粒（NPs）作为一种合适的策略，以明确的浓度递送EGCG，从而更好地研究其化学预防活性。最后，提出了一些在疾病不同阶段可能从EGCG治疗中获益的癌症实例。
