Hao Xunxing, Gao Zhixiao, Hu Mingzhe
Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, 250014, Shangdong, China.
Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China.
Discov Oncol. 2025 Jan 8;16(1):20. doi: 10.1007/s12672-025-01746-6.
Vanillic Acid (VA) is an aromatic acid extracted from traditional Chinese medicine such as Angelica sinensis and Panax ginseng, which has demonstrated potent anti-cancer activity, inhibiting the onset and progression of various malignant tumors. This review highlights the principal mechanism by which VA exerts its anticancer activity, including apoptosis induction, specifically promoting the generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), which in turn triggers mitochondrial apoptosis. Furthermore, VA disrupts the cancer cell cycle, arresting most cancer cells at the G1 phase, curtails cell migration, invasion, angiogenesis, and potentiates the therapeutic efficacy of chemotherapeutic drugs, all while minimizing adverse reactions. This paper offers a comprehensive review of VA's anti-tumor effects and underlying mechanisms, aiming to provide some references for scientists and clinical physicians in the research of anti-tumor therapeutic strategies.
香草酸（VA）是一种从当归、人参等中药中提取的芳香酸，已证明具有强大的抗癌活性，可抑制各种恶性肿瘤的发生和发展。本综述重点介绍了VA发挥抗癌活性的主要机制，包括诱导细胞凋亡，特别是促进细胞内活性氧（ROS）的生成，进而触发线粒体凋亡。此外，VA扰乱癌细胞周期，使大多数癌细胞停滞在G1期，减少细胞迁移、侵袭、血管生成，并增强化疗药物的治疗效果，同时将不良反应降至最低。本文对VA的抗肿瘤作用及其潜在机制进行了全面综述，旨在为科学家和临床医生在抗肿瘤治疗策略研究方面提供一些参考。
