Mechanisms and Molecular Targets of Artemisinin in Cancer Treatment

The major problems with cancer therapy are drug-induced side effects. There is an urgent need for safe anti-tumor drugs. Artemisinin is a Chinese herbal remedy for malaria with efficacy and safety. However, several studies reported that artemisinin causes neurotoxicity and cardiotoxicity in animal m...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Cancer investigation 2021-09, Vol.39 (8), p.675-684
Main Authors: Li, Dongning, Zhang, Jie, Zhao, Xiaoyan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Artemisinin
cancer therapy
drug repurposing
ferroptosis and autophagy
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Summary:The major problems with cancer therapy are drug-induced side effects. There is an urgent need for safe anti-tumor drugs. Artemisinin is a Chinese herbal remedy for malaria with efficacy and safety. However, several studies reported that artemisinin causes neurotoxicity and cardiotoxicity in animal models. Recently, nanostructured drug delivery systems have been designed to improve therapeutic efficacy and reduce toxicity. Artemisinin has been reported to show anticancer properties. The anticancer effects of artemisinin appear to be mediated by inducing cell cycle arrest, promoting ferroptosis and autophagy, inhibiting cell metastasis. Therefore, the review is to concentrate on mechanisms and molecular targets of artemisinin as anti-tumor agents. We believe these will be important topics in realizing the potential of artemisinin and its derivatives as potent anticancer agents.
ISSN:0735-7907
1532-4192
DOI:10.1080/07357907.2021.1954190