Products For Treatment Of Cancer Research Articles

Medicinal and Economic Values of Forest Products in the Treatment of Cancer in Southwest Nigeria

Medicinal plants are used to address the twin problems of promoting sustainable livelihoods and treatment of numerous illnesses in Nigeria. The study examined the medicinal value of forest products in the treatment of cancer in South-west Nigeria. Primary data was obtained in a cross-section survey of 327 respondents comprising 127 Traditional Medicine Practitioners (TMPs), 100 Orthodox Medicine Practitioners (OMPs) and 100 respondents from the General Public drawn by multistage sampling technique from the study area. Interview schedule was used in collection of data on the effectiveness of forest products in cancer treatment. The result showed that seven species were identified belonging to seven different families; Rutaceae, Asteraceae, Anarcardiaceae, Annonaceae, Meliaceae, Guttiferaceae and Leguminaceae topped the TMPs priority list. Result of economic analysis shows minimal competition in the anti-cancer forest product market and a high level of monopoly with a Gini coefficient of 0.83. The rate of return on investment was 180.08% indicating that the TMPs were making profit. Five of the plants were tested against cancer cell lines MCF7 and Hs578T while Doxorubicin (a synthetic anticancer drug) was used as the control treatment. Three plants: Saccharum offinarum (Stem), Sucurinega virosa (Root) and Piper guineensii (Seed) produced no result; Garcinia kola (Bark) did not exhibit any anticancer effect even at a concentration of 10 μ1/m1 while only one plant species was effective against the cancer cell line at 1 μ1/m1. It is therefore concluded that forest products are effective in the treatment of cancer.

The Efficacy of Some Comestible Natural Products in Treatment of Cancer

Despite the fact that cancer is primarily a preventable disease, recent statistics indicate cancer is the number one killer worldwide. Conventionally, cancer therapy includes surgery, radiation and drugs, separately or in combination. This modality of cancer treatment is still not successful. Therefore, the identification of new cytotoxic drugs with low or none side effects is of great interest worldwide. Since traditional medicines have been used for maintaining health, as well as in the prevention, therapy and remission of cancer, natural products can serve as chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agent. Here, we describe the efficacy of 3 comestible natural products such as garlic, green tea and cruciferous vegetables in cancer therapy.

Natural Products and Transforming Growth Factor-beta (TGF-β) Signaling in Cancer Development and Progression

Actions of many herbal medicine products for cancer treatment are linked to an altered production of TGF-β in the target cells. An altered TGF-β production in the target cells will have profound effects on the patients. Therefore, it is important that we review the pros and cons of these products on cancer development and progression in terms of TGF-β signaling. It has been well established that TGF-β is growth inhibitory to benign cells or early stages of cancer cells but it is tumor promoting and metastatic for advanced malignancies. Further, many dietary components can alter gene-specific DNA methylation levels in systemic and in target tissues. Since TGF-β signaling in cancer is closely linked to the DNA methylation profiles, we also review the effect of dietary components on DNA methylation. In light of this knowledge, it is important to note that many natural products that can induce TGF-β production in the target cells may be beneficial in preventing cancer development but may be harmful for cancer patients, especially when they harbor advanced stage cancer. A discussion of the effect of herbal natural products on cancer can be divided into three categories. The first category of herbal medicine products will be those related to the induction of cancer as far as TGF-β is concerned. Since TGF-β is growth inhibitory and pro-apoptosis to benign cells, any herbal medication that can induce the production of TGF-β in the target cells will be beneficial to the patients. However, such herbal medicine may not necessarily be beneficial for patients with established and advanced cancer. The second category of herbal products will inhibit TGF-β signaling and will reduce TGF-β mediated growth promotion and metastasis in advanced cancers. For patients with established and advanced cancer, agents that can inhibit the production of TGF-β may also inhibit cancer growth and metastasis. Finally, the third category of herbal products has no impact on TGF-β signaling, such as lycopene.

Evidence in Support of Potential Applications of Lipid Peroxidation Products in Cancer Treatment

Cancer cells generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) resulting from mitochondrial dysfunction, stimulation of oncogenes, abnormal metabolism, and aggravated inflammatory activities. Available evidence also suggests that cancer cells depend on intrinsic ROS level for proliferation and survival. Both physiological and pathophysiological roles have been ascribed to ROS which cause lipid peroxidation. In spite of their injurious effects, the ROS and the resulting lipid peroxidation products could be beneficial in cancer treatment. This review presents research findings suggesting that ROS and the resulting lipid peroxidation products could be utilized to inhibit cancer growth or induce cancer cell death. It also underscores the potential of lipid peroxidation products to potentiate the antitumor effect of other anticancer agents. The review also highlights evidence demonstrating other potential applications of lipid peroxidation products in cancer treatment. These include the prospect of lipid peroxidation products as a diagnostic tool to predict the chances of cancer recurrence, to monitor treatment progress or how well cancer patients respond to therapy. Further and detailed research is required on how best to successfully, effectively, and selectively target cancer cells in humans using lipid peroxidation products. This may prove to be an important strategy to complement current treatment regimens for cancer patients.

Anticancer and Immunopotentiating Activities of Crude Polysaccharides from Pleurotus nebrodensis on Mouse Sarcoma 180

Pleurotus nebrodensis is an edible and commercially available mushroom in Korea. This study was conducted in order to evaluate the anticancer and immunopotentiating activities of crude polysaccharides, extracted in methanol, neutral saline, and hot water (hereafter referred to as Fr. MeOH, Fr. NaCl, and Fr. HW, respectively) from the fruiting bodies of P. nebrodensis. β-Glucan and protein contents in Fr. MeOH, Fr. NaCl, and Fr. HW extracts of P. nebrodensis ranged from 23.79~36.63 g/100 g and 4.45~6.12 g/100 g, respectively. Crude polysaccharides were not cytotoxic against sarcoma 180, HT-29, NIH3T3, and RAW 264.7 cell lines at a range of 10~2,000 μg/mL. Intraperitoneal injection with crude polysaccharides resulted in a life prolongation effect of 11.76~27.06% in mice previously inoculated with sarcoma 180. Treatment with Fr. NaCl resulted in an increase in the numbers of spleen cells by 1.49 fold at the concentration of 50 μg/mL, compared with control. Fr. HW improved the immuno-potentiating activity of B lymphocytes through an increase in alkaline phosphatase activity by 1.65 fold, compared with control at 200 μg/mL. Maximum production of nitric oxide (14.3 μM) was recorded in the Fr. NaCl fraction at 200 μg/mL. Production of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) was significantly higher, compared to control, and IL-6 production was highest, in contrast to TNF-α, IL-1β, and positive control, concanavalin at the tested concentration of the various fractions. Results of the current study suggest that polysaccharides extracted from P. nebrodensis have a strong anticancer effect and may be useful as an ingredient of biopharmaceutical products for treatment of cancer.

Angiogenesis as a potential target of pharmaconutrients in cancer therapy

The aim of this review is to provide insight into tumor angiogenesis inhibition by pharmaconutrients through description of the most relevant and recent findings in cancer research. Cancer growth needs oxygen and nutrients supplied through blood vessels to the tumor site. New vessel formation named angiogenesis can be prevented to avoid cancer invasion. Epidemiological studies suggested that specific food intakes could decrease incidence of many cancers. Recently, scientists were interested in the potential antitumor effects of nutrients because of their safety and general acceptance. Many excellent publications demonstrated that a large class of natural compounds including pharmaconutrients exhibits antitumoral activities in selected cancer types. This review focuses on the antiangiogenic role of natural products in cancer treatment, used alone or in combination with conventional chemotherapy. There is strong evidence that natural diets influence cancer development by modulating signaling pathways. Our goal is to highlight the specific impact of specific nutrients in the modulation of vascular network leading to tumor angiogenesis inhibition.

Medicinal plants and cancer chemoprevention.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide. Although great advancements have been made in the treatment and control of cancer progression, significant deficiencies and room for improvement remain. A number of undesired side effects sometimes occur during chemotherapy. Natural therapies, such as the use of plant-derived products in cancer treatment, may reduce adverse side effects. Currently, a few plant products are being used to treat cancer. However, a myriad of many plant products exist that have shown very promising anti-cancer properties in vitro, but have yet to be evaluated in humans. Further study is required to determine the efficacy of these plant products in treating cancers in humans. This review will focus on the various plant-derived chemical compounds that have, in recent years, shown promise as anticancer agents and will outline their potential mechanism of action.

2. Natural products in cancer treatment from bench to the clinic

The development of anticancer agents has, in the past, relied heavily on leads derived from screening a wide variety of agents from both synthetic and natural sources. With the development of new techniques of measurement of biochemical changes in cells and the advent of molecular biological techniques, it is becoming clear that many naturally occurring agents, specifically selected for their tumour growth inhibiting activity, are highly complex and novel substances which are potentially promising as anticancer agents in the clinic. The process of getting a drug from the laboratory bench to the clinic is itself often complex due to adverse physical characteristics of the drug. The experience of the Cancer Research Campaign Clinical Trials Committee in developing several natural products, currently in various stages of development for clinical trial, is described. The drugs discussed include the vinca alkaloids, maytansine, combretastatins, bryostatin 1, pancratistatin, phyllanthoside, dolastatin 10, and taxol.