The Multifaceted Role of Flavonoids in Cancer Therapy: Leveraging Autophagy with a Double-Edged Sword

Zhang, Zhe; Shi, Jiayan; Nice, Edouard C.; Huang, Canhua; Shi, Zheng

doi:10.3390/antiox10071138

Open AccessReview

The Multifaceted Role of Flavonoids in Cancer Therapy: Leveraging Autophagy with a Double-Edged Sword

by

Zhe Zhang

^1,2,†,

Jiayan Shi

^1,2,†,

Edouard C. Nice

³

,

Canhua Huang

^1,2,* and

Zheng Shi

^1,*

¹

Clinical Medical College & Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu University, Chengdu University, Chengdu 610106, China

²

Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, and West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China

³

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia

^*

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

^†

These authors contribute equally to this work.

Antioxidants 2021, 10(7), 1138; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox10071138

Submission received: 23 June 2021 / Revised: 5 July 2021 / Accepted: 15 July 2021 / Published: 19 July 2021

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modulation of Autophagy by Dietary Polyphenols: Mechanisms and Health Benefits)

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Abstract

Flavonoids are considered as pleiotropic, safe, and readily obtainable molecules. A large number of recent studies have proposed that flavonoids have potential in the treatment of tumors by the modulation of autophagy. In many cases, flavonoids suppress cancer by stimulating excessive autophagy or impairing autophagy flux especially in apoptosis-resistant cancer cells. However, the anti-cancer activity of flavonoids may be attenuated due to the simultaneous induction of protective autophagy. Notably, flavonoids-triggered protective autophagy is becoming a trend for preventing cancer in the clinical setting or for protecting patients from conventional therapeutic side effects in normal tissues. In this review, focusing on the underlying autophagic mechanisms of flavonoids, we hope to provide a new perspective for clinical application of flavonoids in cancer therapy. In addition, we highlight new research ideas for the development of new dosage forms of flavonoids to improve their various pharmacological effects, establishing flavonoids as ideal candidates for cancer prevention and therapy in the clinic.

Keywords: flavonoids; autophagy; cancer prevention; cancer therapy; nanotechnology

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MDPI and ACS Style

Zhang, Z.; Shi, J.; Nice, E.C.; Huang, C.; Shi, Z. The Multifaceted Role of Flavonoids in Cancer Therapy: Leveraging Autophagy with a Double-Edged Sword. Antioxidants 2021, 10, 1138. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox10071138

AMA Style

Zhang Z, Shi J, Nice EC, Huang C, Shi Z. The Multifaceted Role of Flavonoids in Cancer Therapy: Leveraging Autophagy with a Double-Edged Sword. Antioxidants. 2021; 10(7):1138. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox10071138

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zhang, Zhe, Jiayan Shi, Edouard C. Nice, Canhua Huang, and Zheng Shi. 2021. "The Multifaceted Role of Flavonoids in Cancer Therapy: Leveraging Autophagy with a Double-Edged Sword" Antioxidants 10, no. 7: 1138. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox10071138

APA Style

Zhang, Z., Shi, J., Nice, E. C., Huang, C., & Shi, Z. (2021). The Multifaceted Role of Flavonoids in Cancer Therapy: Leveraging Autophagy with a Double-Edged Sword. Antioxidants, 10(7), 1138. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox10071138

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

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The Multifaceted Role of Flavonoids in Cancer Therapy: Leveraging Autophagy with a Double-Edged Sword

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