Research Progress of Indole Alkaloids: Targeting MAP Kinase Signaling Pathways in Cancer Treatment
by
, , , , , ,
Md. Al Amin
1,†,
Talha Bin Emran
1,2,*,
Jishan Khan
3,
Mehrukh Zehravi
4,
Indu Sharma
5,
Anasuya Patil
6,
Jeetendra Kumar Gupta
7,
D. Jeslin
8
,
Karthickeyan Krishnan
9,
Rajib Das
10, 
Firzan Nainu
11
,
Irfan Ahmad
12 and
Polrat Wilairatana
13,*,†
1
Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Daffodil International University, Dhaka 1207, Bangladesh
2
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School & Legorreta Cancer Center, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
3
Department of Pharmacy, International Islamic University Chittagong, Kumira, Chittagong 4318, Bangladesh
4
Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Dentistry & Pharmacy, Buraydah Private Colleges, Buraydah 51418, Saudi Arabia
5
Department of Physics, Career Point University, Hamirpur 176041, Himachal Pradesh, India
6
Department of Pharmaceutics, KLE College of Pharmacy, Bengaluru 560010, Karnataka, India
7
Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmaceutical Research, GLA University, Mathura 281406, Uttar Pradesh, India
8
Department of Pharmaceutics, Sree Balaji Medical College and Hospital Campus, Bharath Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chromepet, Chennai 600044, Tamil Nadu, India
9
Department of Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vels Institute of Science, Technology and Advanced Studies (VISTAS), Pallavaram, Chennai 600117, Tamil Nadu, India
10
Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh
11
Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Hasanuddin University, Makassar 90245, Indonesia
12
Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha 61411, Saudi Arabia
13
Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Cancers 2023, 15(22), 5311; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers15225311
Submission received: 1 October 2023
/
Revised: 25 October 2023
/
Accepted: 3 November 2023
/
Published: 7 November 2023
(This article belongs to the Special Issue MAPK/Akt Signaling Pathways: Function, Regulation, Signaling, and Implications for Cancer Treatment)
Simple Summary
Cancer is a major global health concern, with the Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway playing a crucial role in cancerous diseases. Indole alkaloids, such as vincristine and evodiamine, have been extensively studied for their potential in cancer treatment. These naturally occurring indole alkaloids have strong anticancer properties, and research is ongoing to develop new anticancer small molecules. The current review aims to evaluate how indole alkaloids affect the MAPK signaling pathway in cancer treatment and focus on advancements in the role of indole alkaloids. The review also highlights clinical trials with indole alkaloids in cancer treatment.
Abstract
Cancer is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in people throughout the world. There are many signaling pathways associated with cancerous diseases, from which the Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway performs a significant role in this regard. Apoptosis and proliferation are correlated with MAPK signaling pathways. Plenty of experimental investigations were carried out to assess the role of indole alkaloids in MAPK-mediated cancerous diseases. Previous reports established that indole alkaloids, such as vincristine and evodiamine are useful small molecules in cancer treatment via the MAPK signaling system. Indole alkaloids have the anticancer potential through different pathways. Vincristine and evodiamine are naturally occurring indole alkaloids that have strong anticancer properties. Additionally, much research is ongoing or completed with molecules belonging to this group. The current review aims to evaluate how indole alkaloids affect the MAPK signaling pathway in cancer treatment. Additionally, we focused on the advancement in the role of indole alkaloids, with the intention of modifying the MAPK signaling pathways to investigate potential new anticancer small molecules. Furthermore, clinical trials with indole alkaloids in cancer treatment are also highlighted.
Keywords:
apoptosis; clinical studies; cancer; indole alkaloids; MAPK
