Destroying the Shield of Cancer Stem Cells: Natural Compounds as Promising Players in Cancer Therapy

In a scenario where eco-sustainability and a reduction in chemotherapeutic drug waste are certainly a prerogative to safeguard the biosphere, the use of natural products (NPs) represents an alternative therapeutic approach to counteract cancer diseases. The presence of a heterogeneous cancer stem ce...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of clinical medicine 2022-11, Vol.11 (23), p.6996
Main Authors: Lo Iacono, Melania, Gaggianesi, Miriam, Bianca, Paola, Brancato, Ornella Roberta, Muratore, Giampaolo, Modica, Chiara, Roozafzay, Narges, Shams, Kimiya, Colarossi, Lorenzo, Colarossi, Cristina, Memeo, Lorenzo, Turdo, Alice, Veschi, Veronica, Di Franco, Simone, Todaro, Matilde, Stassi, Giorgio
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
ABC transporters
Apoptosis
Brain cancer
Breast cancer
Cancer therapies
Chemotherapy
Clinical medicine
DNA damage
Drug resistance
Enzymes
Esophagus
Gene expression
Kinases
Leukemia
Proteins
Radiation therapy
Review
Stem cells
Thyroid gland
Tumor necrosis factor-TNF
Tumors
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Summary:In a scenario where eco-sustainability and a reduction in chemotherapeutic drug waste are certainly a prerogative to safeguard the biosphere, the use of natural products (NPs) represents an alternative therapeutic approach to counteract cancer diseases. The presence of a heterogeneous cancer stem cell (CSC) population within a tumor bulk is related to disease recurrence and therapy resistance. For this reason, CSC targeting presents a promising strategy for hampering cancer recurrence. Increasing evidence shows that NPs can inhibit crucial signaling pathways involved in the maintenance of CSC stemness and sensitize CSCs to standard chemotherapeutic treatments. Moreover, their limited toxicity and low costs for large-scale production could accelerate the use of NPs in clinical settings. In this review, we will summarize the most relevant studies regarding the effects of NPs derived from major natural sources, e.g., food, botanical, and marine species, on CSCs, elucidating their use in pre-clinical and clinical studies.
ISSN:2077-0383
2077-0383
DOI:10.3390/jcm11236996