Natural Products and Apoptosis Mechanisms in Cancer Therapy

Natural products have long served as a rich source of anticancer agents, offering diverse chemical scaffolds that engage key apoptotic pathways. Many of these compounds, including sesquiterpene lactones, flavonoids and alkaloids, target the intrinsic and extrinsic cell-death machinery to trigger programmed cell death selectively in malignant cells. Common mechanisms involve mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilisation, generation of reactive oxygen species and activation of caspases, often accompanied by modulation of Bcl-2 family proteins. By inducing cell-cycle arrest and engaging death receptors or stress-activated kinases, natural products can overcome chemoresistance and synergise with standard treatments. Recent research has elucidated additional layers of regulation, such as microRNA-mediated control of apoptosis regulators and interference with tumour microenvironment signals. These advances underscore the global significance of natural products in designing targeted, less toxic therapies and in enhancing the efficacy of existing regimens.

Research from Nature Portfolio

No recent Nature Portfolio content available.

Natural Products and Apoptosis Mechanisms in Cancer Therapy publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in natural products and apoptosis mechanisms in cancer therapy across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Sesquiterpene lactone: A thirty-carbon natural product bearing a lactone ring, often exhibiting cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory properties.

Apoptosis: Programmed cell death characterised by chromatin condensation, membrane blebbing and caspase activation, crucial for tissue homeostasis and cancer suppression.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS): Chemically reactive oxygen-containing molecules that can damage cellular components and initiate apoptosis.

Caspases: A family of cysteine proteases that orchestrate the initiation and execution of apoptosis by cleaving specific protein substrates.

Bcl-2 family proteins: Regulators of mitochondrial membrane permeability, comprising pro-apoptotic members (e.g. Bax) and anti-apoptotic members (e.g. Bcl-2).

MicroRNA (miR): Small non-coding RNA molecules that post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression, including that of apoptosis-related genes.

References

1. Sesquiterpene Lactone Deoxyelephantopin Isolated from Elephantopus scaber and Its Derivative DETD-35 Suppress BRAFV600E Mutant Melanoma Lung Metastasis in Mice. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2021).
2. Deoxyelephantopin Induces Apoptosis and Enhances Chemosensitivity of Colon Cancer via miR-205/Bcl2 Axis. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2022).
3. Comparative Study of Antiproliferative Activity in Different Plant Parts of Phaleria macrocarpa and the Underlying Mechanism of Action. The Scientific World JOURNAL (2022).