Abstract
BackgroundThe shift from cytotoxic to targeted chemotherapy led to improved treatment outcomes in oncology. Nevertheless, many cancer patients cannot be cured from their disease because of the development of drug resistance and side effects. PurposeThere is an ongoing quest for novel compounds, which raised not only the interest in natural products but also in novel combination therapy regimens. Study designIn this review, we report on the inhibition epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) by targeted small molecules and their combination with natural products from medicinal plants. ResultsThe combination of erlotinib with artesunate leads to synergistic inhibition of cell growth in isobologram analyses. Artesunate is an approved anti-malaria drug, which is also active against cancer as shown in vitro, in vivo and in preliminary clinical phase I/II trials. ConclusionThe combination of natural products (e.g. the sesquiterpenoid artesunate) and synthetic compounds (e.g. the small molecule EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor erlotinib) may lead to improved clinical success rates in oncology.
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