Sahoo Biswa Mohan, Banik Bimal Krishna, Sharma Shikha, Singh Bhupendra
School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Centurion University of Technology & Management, Jatni, Bhubaneswar, Khurda, 752050, Odisha, India.
Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, College of Sciences and Human Studies, Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University, Al Khobar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Anticancer Agents Med Chem. 2025;25(5):339-356. doi: 10.2174/0118715206342920241008062115.
Cancer is regarded as one of the main causes of death globally. Future predictions indicate that the death rate from cancer will keep rising, which may reach 11.4 million in 2030. Carcinogenesis refers to the phenomenon of transforming a normal cell into a cancer cell. Cancer is characterized by unregulated and uncontrolled cell division due to alterations at the molecular and genetic levels. Gene mutations can speed up the rate of cell division, which leads to cancer. Metastasis entails the dissemination of cancer cells from the primary site to distant regions of the body via the circulatory or lymphatic systems.
This review is mainly focusing on the anticancer properties of terpenoids. In the case of human beings, several types of cancers can be treated clinically based on the form and phase of the cancer. So, there are different types of treatment regimens available for the management of cancer, such as immunotherapy, hormonal therapy, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy.
Several problems are associated with cancer therapy, including chemoresistance, severe toxicity, relapse, and metastasis. To minimize these complications, natural products like terpenoids seem to be beneficial for the effective management of cancer.
Experimental results revealed that the anticancer potential of terpenoids is due to activation of apoptosis and stimulation of cell cycle arrest. Some of the terpenoids exhibit anticancer effects by inhibiting angiogenesis and metastasis via the regulation of several signaling pathways intracellularly. Certain terpenoids have been shown to work in concert with anticancer medications (doxorubicin, cisplatin, paclitaxel, and 5-fluorouracil) to provide synergistic effects. These terpenoids have also been shown to be effective against cancer cells that are resistant to several drug therapies.
The current study will focus on signaling pathways and mode of action of several types of terpenoids as anticancer agents. Further, it will provide insights into the ongoing clinical trials and prospective pathways for the advancement of terpenoids as possible anti-cancer agents.
癌症被视为全球主要死因之一。未来预测表明，癌症死亡率将持续上升，到2030年可能达到1140万。致癌作用是指正常细胞转变为癌细胞的现象。癌症的特征是由于分子和基因水平的改变导致细胞分裂不受调控。基因突变会加速细胞分裂速度，从而引发癌症。转移是指癌细胞通过循环系统或淋巴系统从原发部位扩散到身体远处区域。
本综述主要关注萜类化合物的抗癌特性。就人类而言，根据癌症的形式和阶段，几种类型的癌症可进行临床治疗。因此，有不同类型的治疗方案可用于癌症管理，如免疫疗法、激素疗法、放射疗法和化学疗法。
癌症治疗存在几个问题，包括化疗耐药性、严重毒性、复发和转移。为了将这些并发症降至最低，像萜类化合物这样的天然产物似乎有利于癌症的有效管理。
实验结果表明，萜类化合物的抗癌潜力归因于细胞凋亡的激活和细胞周期停滞的刺激。一些萜类化合物通过细胞内调节多种信号通路来抑制血管生成和转移，从而发挥抗癌作用。某些萜类化合物已被证明可与抗癌药物（阿霉素、顺铂、紫杉醇和5-氟尿嘧啶）协同发挥作用。这些萜类化合物也被证明对几种药物疗法耐药的癌细胞有效。
当前研究将聚焦于几种类型萜类化合物作为抗癌剂的信号通路和作用方式。此外，它将为正在进行的临床试验以及萜类化合物作为可能的抗癌剂的未来发展途径提供见解。
