Natural Compounds in Cancer Treatment and Prevention: Mechanisms, Evidence, and Clinical Perspectives
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Bioactives and Nutraceuticals".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 August 2026 | Viewed by 3
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Despite substantial advances in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, cancer continues to represent a major global health burden. In recent years, natural compounds have emerged as promising agents in oncology due to their broad spectrum of biological activities, relative safety profiles, and ability to modulate multiple molecular pathways involved in tumor initiation, progression, and resistance to therapy. These bioactive compounds, derived from plants, microorganisms, marine organisms, and other natural sources, offer valuable opportunities for both cancer treatment and prevention.
However, the successful integration of natural compounds into oncological strategies faces important challenges, including variability in composition, limited bioavailability, pharmacokinetic constraints, safety considerations, and the need for robust translational and clinical evidence. Addressing these issues requires interdisciplinary research efforts that bridge basic science, preclinical models, and clinical investigation.
This Special Issue invites original research articles, systematic reviews, and high-quality narrative reviews that advance our understanding of the role of natural compounds in cancer treatment and prevention. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, mechanisms of action, modulation of oxidative stress and inflammation, regulation of apoptosis and autophagy, immune and metabolic pathways, epigenetic effects, synergistic interactions with conventional anticancer therapies, and strategies to improve bioavailability and clinical applicability. Contributions addressing translational relevance and evidence-based clinical perspectives are particularly encouraged. The aim of this Special Issue is to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of the art and future directions for natural compounds in oncology.
Importantly, the exact active ingredient of the natural origin extract must be reported in the submitted research manuscript, as papers describing the effects of mixed extractions from natural origins do not fall within the scope of this journal.
Dr. Vitor Engracia Valenti
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- natural compounds
- cancer treatment
- cancer prevention
- bioactive phytochemicals
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