Anti-Cancer Pharmacology of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) offers a rich pharmacopeia of natural products that have demonstrated significant anti-cancer potential through diverse mechanisms. Key bioactive constituents include alkaloids, flavonoids, polysaccharides and sesquiterpenes, which exert cytotoxic effects on tumour cells while sparing normal tissues. Mechanisms of action encompass induction of apoptosis via mitochondrial and death-receptor pathways, modulation of autophagy, arrest of the cell cycle at G1, S or G2/M phases, suppression of metastasis through inhibition of epithelial–mesenchymal transition and angiogenesis, and reversal of multidrug resistance. Central molecular targets include the PI3K/Akt/mTOR and JAK/STAT signalling axes, NF-κB transcriptional activity, the balance of Bcl-2 family proteins and generation of reactive oxygen species. Synergistic effects with established chemotherapeutics have emerged as a promising strategy to enhance efficacy and reduce toxicity. Advances in extraction, standardisation and novel delivery systems such as nanoparticles are accelerating preclinical evaluation and clinical translation. Despite challenges in bioavailability and complex pharmacokinetics, ongoing research underscores the global significance of TCM as a reservoir for new oncology drugs and adjuvant therapies.

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Anti-Cancer Pharmacology of Traditional Chinese Medicine publication trend

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Technical terms

Apoptosis: Programmed cell death characterised by caspase activation, DNA fragmentation and membrane blebbing.

Autophagy: Lysosome-mediated degradation of cellular components, which can promote or inhibit tumour growth depending on context.

PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway: A key intracellular signalling cascade regulating cell survival, proliferation and metabolism, frequently dysregulated in cancer.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS): Highly reactive molecules derived from oxygen that can induce oxidative stress and trigger cell death pathways.

Cell cycle arrest: The halting of cell cycle progression at specific phases (G1, S or G2/M), preventing proliferation of cancer cells.

References

1. Aloperine targets lysosomes to inhibit late autophagy and induces cell death through apoptosis and paraptosis in glioblastoma. Molecular Biomedicine (2023).
2. A Systematic Review of the Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmacokinetics of Matrine. Frontiers in Pharmacology (2020).
3. Identification of candidate anti-cancer molecular mechanisms of compound kushen injection using functional genomics. Oncotarget (2016).