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Research: HU and COLLEAGUES,
Listed in Issue 223
Abstract
HU and COLLEAGUES, (1)State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China reviewed the literature with the aim of providing the most recent developments on anti-HCC (Hepatocellular carcinoma) compounds derived from Chinese herbal medicine (CHM), especially their underlying pharmacological mechanisms.
Background
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) as the major histological subtype of primary liver cancer remains one of the most common malignancies worldwide. Due to the complicated molecular pathogenesis of HCC, the option for effective systemic treatment is quite limited. There exists a critical need to explore and evaluate possible alternative strategies for effective control of HCC. With a long history of clinical use, Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) is emerging as a noticeable choice for its multi-level, multi-target and coordinated intervention effects against HCC. With the aids of phytochemistry and molecular biological approaches, in the past decades many CHM-derived compounds have been carefully studied through both preclinical and clinical researches and have shown great potential in novel anti-HCC natural product development. The present review aimed at providing the most recent developments on anti-HCC compounds derived from CHM, especially their underlying pharmacological mechanisms.
Methodology
A systematic search of anti-HCC compounds from CHM was carried out focusing on literatures published both in English (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Medline) and in Chinese academic databases (Wanfang and CNKI database).
Results
In this review, the authors tried to give a timely and comprehensive update about the anti-HCC effects and targets of several representative CHM-derived compounds, namely curcumin, resveratrol, silibinin, berberine, quercetin, tanshinone II-A and celastrol. Their mechanisms of anti-HCC behaviours, potential side effects or toxicity and future research directions were discussed.
Conclusion
Herbal compounds derived from CHM are of much significance in devising new drugs and providing unique ideas for the war against HCC. The authors propose that these breakthrough findings may have important implications for targeted-HCC therapy and modernization of CHM.
References
Hu Y(1), Wang S, Wu X, Zhang J, Chen R, Chen M, Wang Y. Chinese herbal medicine-derived compounds for cancer therapy: a focus on hepatocellular carcinoma. J Ethnopharmacol 149(3):601-12. Oct 7 2013. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2013.07.030. Epub. Aug 1 2013.
Comment
The results of the above systematic review of Chinese Herbal Medicine herbal compounds describe properties and mechanisms regarding their potentially positive action in Hepatocellular (liver) carcinoma (HCC). It is hoped that this research will be followed through and result in clinically effective treatments in HCC.
