Anticancer Potential of Natural Products: Molecular Insights and Therapeutic 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: 31 January 2027 | Viewed by 85
Editors
Interests: natural bioactive compounds; functional foods and nutraceuticals; cancer cell biology; phytochemicals in diet; chronic disease prevention; pharmacology and toxicology; food waste valorisation; nutritional strategies for health promotion; animal and human health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: food-derived bioactive compounds; nanoparticle-based delivery systems; innate immunity modulation; macrophage polarisation; zein nanoparticles; nutraceuticals and functional foods; chronic inflammation prevention; one health approach; cancer cell biology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: innate immunity; innate immune cells; immunomodulation; inflammation; innate immune memory; comparative immunology; conserved immune mechanisms; immunotoxicology; environmental stressors; nanosafety and emerging contaminants
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Cancer remains a major global health challenge affecting both human and animal populations, with increasing evidence highlighting shared molecular mechanisms, environmental exposures and dietary risk factors across species. In this context, the One Health approach—integrating human, animal and environmental health—offers a powerful framework to advance translational oncology and identify novel preventive and therapeutic strategies.
Natural products and bioactive compounds, including plant-derived phytochemicals such as epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), apigenin, quercetin and other polyphenols and flavonoids, as well as marine compounds and microbiota-derived metabolites, represent a vast and still largely untapped reservoir of molecules with anticancer potential. In addition to purified compounds, increasing attention is being paid to extracts and bioactive fractions obtained from residual plant biomass and agri-food by-products, including pruning residues, leaves, peels, seeds, pomace and other underexploited plant-derived waste materials. These sources may provide sustainable and economically valuable reservoirs of anticancer candidates while supporting circular-economy approaches. These compounds and extracts can modulate key cellular processes involved in tumour initiation and progression, including proliferation, apoptosis, oxidative stress, inflammation, epigenetic regulation and metabolic reprogramming. Importantly, comparative oncology studies using both human and animal cancer models, including spontaneous tumours in companion animals, are emerging as valuable tools to accelerate the discovery and validation of these bioactive agents.
This Special Issue aims to explore the anticancer potential of natural products through a multidisciplinary and One Health perspective, bridging molecular insights with translational relevance. Particular emphasis will be placed on studies that integrate human and veterinary oncology, highlighting shared pathways and therapeutic targets.
We welcome the submission of original research articles, reviews and short communications addressing, but not limited to, the following topics:
- Molecular mechanisms of natural compounds in human and animal cancer models
- Comparative oncology approaches using companion animals (e.g., canine and feline tumours)
- Role of natural products in modulating tumour microenvironment, immune response and inflammation
- Epigenetic and metabolic regulation induced by bioactive compounds
- Natural compounds targeting drug resistance and cancer stem cells
- Impact of diet, microbiota and environmental contaminants on cancer development and progression
- Translational and preclinical studies integrating in vitro and in vivo models across species
By fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration, this Special Issue seeks to advance our understanding of natural compounds as anticancer agents and promote innovative strategies for cancer prevention and therapy within a One Health framework.
Dr. Nunzio Antonio Cacciola
Dr. Annunziata Corteggio
Dr. Daniela Melillo
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- natural products
- bioactive compounds
- anticancer
- tumour microenvironment
- cancer prevention and therapy
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