Ao Xinyi, Zhou Xin, Liu Jianqin, Wu Qian, Yang Yanlin, Liu Yali, Hao Weian, Li Li, Wang Kaixuan, Li Zhi
Department of Spleen and Stomach Diseases, the Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China.
The Key Laboratory of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Prevention and Treatment of Digestive System Diseases of Luzhou City, the Affiliated Traditional Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China.
Medicine (Baltimore). 2025 Mar 14;104(11):e41873. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000041873.
Colorectal cancer is recognized as the third most prevalent malignant tumor globally. The recommended treatment modalities, including surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, are frequently associated with severe side effects and high recurrence rates. Cancer experts are actively engaged in a global pursuit of safer and more efficacious treatment strategies for colorectal cancer (CRC). Insect medicine, a unique subset of traditional Chinese medicine, is characterized by their broad spectrum of therapeutic effects, which include antibacterial, anticoagulant, antithrombotic, and sedative actions. Insects are enriched with proteins, peptides, and amino acids. These compounds exhibit pharmacological activities, including anti-tumor effects, inhibition of cancer cell proliferation, induction of apoptosis in cancer cells, anti-inflammatory properties, and immunomodulation. Recent studies have revealed that certain traditional Chinese insect medicines, such as Bombyx Batryticatus, Tubiechong, and Aspongopus chinensis Dalls, demonstrate outstanding therapeutic efficacy in the treatment of CRC. The anti-CRC actions of these insect medicines are potentially mediated through mechanisms involving the Hedgehog and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways, as well as immunomodulatory effects. Consequently, these insect medicines are proposed as a potential strategy for CRC treatment.
结直肠癌被公认为全球第三大常见恶性肿瘤。推荐的治疗方式，包括手术、放疗和化疗，常常伴有严重的副作用和高复发率。癌症专家正在全球积极寻求更安全、更有效的结直肠癌（CRC）治疗策略。虫类药是传统中药的一个独特类别，其特点是具有广泛的治疗作用，包括抗菌、抗凝、抗血栓形成和镇静作用。昆虫富含蛋白质、肽和氨基酸。这些化合物具有药理活性，包括抗肿瘤作用、抑制癌细胞增殖、诱导癌细胞凋亡、抗炎特性和免疫调节作用。最近的研究表明，某些传统虫类中药，如僵蚕、土鳖虫和九香虫，在治疗CRC方面显示出显著的治疗效果。这些虫类药的抗CRC作用可能是通过涉及刺猬信号通路和Wnt/β-连环蛋白信号通路以及免疫调节作用的机制介导的。因此，这些虫类药被提议作为CRC治疗的一种潜在策略。
