Abstract
Intestinal mucositis is a clinically relevant side effect of anticancer therapies. It is experienced by 60–100% of patients undergoing treatment with high doses of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and bone marrow transplantation. Intestinal mucositis can manifest as pain, weight loss, inflammation, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, and infection; affecting normal nutritional intake and intestinal function. It often impacts adherence to anticancer therapy as it frequently limits patient’s ability to tolerate treatment, causing schedule delays, interruptions, or premature discontinuation. In some cases, local and systemic secondary infections are observed, increasing the costs toward medical care and hospitalization. Several strategies for managing mucositis are available which do not always halt this condition. In this context, new therapeutic strategies are under investigation to prevent or treat intestinal mucositis. Polysaccharides from natural resources have recently become promising molecules against intestinal damage due to their ability to promote mucosal healing and their anti-inflammatory actions. These effects are associated with the protection of intestinal mucosa and regulation of microbiota and immune system. This review aims to discuss the recent advances of polysaccharides from natural resources as potential therapies for intestinal mucositis. The source, species, doses, treatment schedules, and mechanisms of action of polysaccharides will be discussed in detail.
Highlights
Intestinal mucositis is a clinically significant side effect of anti-cancer therapies, characterized by ulcerative lesions along the mucous membrane lining the gastrointestinal tract (Kwon, 2016)
Mucositis clinical symptoms result from epithelial injury, followed by a complex series of biological events that occur in the different cellular and tissue compartments of the mucosa (Sonis, 2004)
Intestinal mucositis has a notable negative impact on patient’s clinical outcome, and its complications can even lead to death in more severe cases (Al-Dasooqi et al, 2013)
Summary
Intestinal mucositis is a clinically significant side effect of anti-cancer therapies, characterized by ulcerative lesions along the mucous membrane lining the gastrointestinal tract (Kwon, 2016). To aid the clinical management of intestinal mucositis, the Mucositis Study Group of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer/International Society of Oral Oncology (MASCC/ISOO) developed a guideline containing updated information on therapeutic alternatives for this disorder. These include mucosal coating agents, anesthetics and analgesics, growth factors and cytokines, antimicrobials, cryotherapy, and natural agents (Elad, 2020)
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