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Natural Compounds: An Adjuvant Strategy in Cancer Management

A special issue of Current Issues in Molecular Biology (ISSN 1467-3045). This special issue belongs to the section "Bioorganic Chemistry and Medicinal Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 1616

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

According to the World Health Organization (WHO)’s latest estimates, in 2022, there were 20 million new cancer diagnoses and 9.7 million cancer deaths globally. The therapeutic strategy against cancer depends on several factors, including the type and stage of cancer, a patient’s general health status and their tolerance to chemotherapy treatment (if needed). In fact, adverse drug reactions often force doctor’s to reduce the dose of treatment. As a consequence, patients risk being undertreated, resulting in worsen oncologic outcomes. Phytochemicals (as well phenolics, flavonoids, and carotenoids) are dietary bioactive compounds present in fruits and vegetables known to act, under certain conditions, as pro-oxidant and cytotoxic agents in certain tissues, including tumour cells. Due to their properties, dietary phytochemicals are used to supplement conventional chemotherapy drugs to increase anti-tumor efficacy, or they can be modified to synthesize novel anti-cancer formulations less cytotoxic to normal tissue cells and more effective against cancer. In this Special Issue, we invite authors to submit original research and review articles investigating different metabolic changes in cancer cells due to the administration of natural compounds and their derivatives. Also, we gratefully appreciate all contributions focused on the identification of new therapeutic approaches using vegetable bioactive compounds in patients for improving positive outcomes in cancer treatment.

Dr. Monia Cecati
Dr. Arianna Vignini
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • cancer
  • phytochemicals
  • bioactive compounds
  • anti-tumor
  • cancer treatment

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

16 pages, 1516 KiB  
Review
Luteolin in Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Colorectal Cancer: A Disease Continuum Perspective
by Fang Liu, Cui Guo, Xue Liu, Zhili Gu, Wenxuan Zou, Xuegui Tang and Jianyuan Tang
Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2025, 47(2), 126; https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb47020126 - 14 Feb 2025
Viewed by 1270
Abstract
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic intestinal inflammatory condition that may progress to colorectal cancer (CRC), presenting significant challenges to global health. With shifts in lifestyle, the incidence of both conditions continues to rise, underscoring the urgent need for effective treatments. While [...] Read more.
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic intestinal inflammatory condition that may progress to colorectal cancer (CRC), presenting significant challenges to global health. With shifts in lifestyle, the incidence of both conditions continues to rise, underscoring the urgent need for effective treatments. While traditional therapies can be effective, their high recurrence rates and associated adverse reactions limit their broader application. Luteolin, a flavonoid derived from natural plants, has emerged as a promising focus in both IBD and CRC research due to its multi-target therapeutic potential. This article reviews the molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways through which luteolin regulates immune cell differentiation, mitigates inflammation and oxidative stress, modulates gut microbiota, and restores intestinal mucosal barrier function in IBD. In the context of CRC, luteolin demonstrates significant anti-tumor effects by inhibiting cancer cell proliferation, inducing apoptosis, and suppressing cell migration and invasion. Notably, luteolin has demonstrated significant improvements in IBD symptoms by influencing the differentiation of T cell subsets, decreasing the expression of inflammatory mediators, activating antioxidant pathways, and enhancing the structure of gut microbiota. Furthermore, advancements in formulation technology, such as the use of polymer micelles and responsive nanoparticles, have greatly improved the bioavailability and efficacy of luteolin. However, further investigation is needed to address the bioavailability and potential toxicity of luteolin, particularly in the critical transition from IBD to CRC. This article emphasizes the potential of luteolin in the treatment of IBD and CRC and anticipates its promising prospects for future clinical applications as a natural therapeutic agent. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Compounds: An Adjuvant Strategy in Cancer Management)
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