Antitumor Agents from Natural Sources 2024

A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural and Bio-derived Molecules".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024 | Viewed by 2147

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR 999078, China
2. Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR 999078, China
Interests: novel therapeutic antibodies development; venom-based peptide & natural biomolecule prototype drugs development; cancer biomarkers & immunotherapy markers discovery for prognostic and therapeutic validation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleague,

This Special Issue aims to highlight the pleiotropic mechanism(s) underlying the processes of cancer initiation as well as progression and focus on the antitumor properties of agents derived from natural sources. Several small molecules isolated from plants, fruits, vegetables, spices, animal venoms/secretions, etc., have demonstrated significant efficacy against various malignancies. These agents can suppress different characteristic hallmarks of cancer cells and have been investigated in various preclinical as well as clinical studies. This Special Issue will highlight the potential role of such important natural agents in both cancer prevention and therapy.

Dr. Hang Fai (Henry) Kwok
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomolecules is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • antitumor agents
  • natural sources
  • cancer prevention and therapy

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

14 pages, 4544 KiB  
Article
Iberverin Downregulates GPX4 and SLC7A11 to Induce Ferroptotic Cell Death in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells
by Haoying Yang, Bolei Dai, Liangjie Chen, Yingping Li, Xiaorui Jin, Chengchang Gao, Linfen Han and Xueli Bian
Biomolecules 2024, 14(11), 1407; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom14111407 - 5 Nov 2024
Viewed by 559
Abstract
Ferroptosis, a recently elucidated style of regulated cell death, has emerged as a significant area of investigation in cancer biology. Natural active compounds that have anti-cancer effects are promising candidates for cancer prevention. Iberverin, a natural compound derived from Brassica oleracea var. capitata [...] Read more.
Ferroptosis, a recently elucidated style of regulated cell death, has emerged as a significant area of investigation in cancer biology. Natural active compounds that have anti-cancer effects are promising candidates for cancer prevention. Iberverin, a natural compound derived from Brassica oleracea var. capitata, has been shown to exert anti-tumor activities in some cancers. However, its role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells and the molecular mechanisms are still poorly understood. In this study, we proved that iberverin can induce intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation to inhibit cell proliferation and initiate ferroptotic cell death in HCC cells, which can be eradicated by the ferroptosis inhibitor ferrostatin-1 (Fer-1) or deferoxamine mesylate (DFO) and ROS scavenger (GSH or NAC). Mechanistically, iberverin treatment can simultaneously downregulate SLC7A11 mRNA level and degrade GPX4 through the ubiquitination pathway, leading to lipid peroxidation and ferroptotic cell death in HCC cells. Significantly, a low dose of iberverin can remarkably increase the sensitivity of HCC cells to ferroptosis induced by canonical ferroptosis inducers RSL3 and imidazole ketone erastin (IKE). This study uncovers a critical function of iberverin in preventing HCC through ferroptosis and provides a promising strategy for HCC treatment either via iberverin alone or in combination with canonical ferroptosis inducers in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antitumor Agents from Natural Sources 2024)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

23 pages, 1998 KiB  
Review
Astragalus membranaceus: A Traditional Chinese Medicine with Multifaceted Impacts on Breast Cancer Treatment
by Zhong Tang and Xuefei Tian
Biomolecules 2024, 14(10), 1339; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom14101339 - 21 Oct 2024
Viewed by 1173
Abstract
Breast cancer, the most prevalent malignant tumor among women globally, remains a critical area of focus for researchers striving to refine therapeutic approaches. As an important component of traditional Chinese medicine, Astragalus membranaceus (AM) has demonstrated potential for multifaceted impacts on breast cancer treatment [...] Read more.
Breast cancer, the most prevalent malignant tumor among women globally, remains a critical area of focus for researchers striving to refine therapeutic approaches. As an important component of traditional Chinese medicine, Astragalus membranaceus (AM) has demonstrated potential for multifaceted impacts on breast cancer treatment through various mechanisms. To guide clinical practice and further explore the under-researched field of AM in breast cancer treatment, this paper mainly reviews the regulatory roles of AM-derived compounds and extracts on breast cancer cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and chemoresistance. Furthermore, this study delves into the synergistic effects observed when AM is co-administered with chemotherapeutic agents, including the enhancement of chemosensitivity, mitigation of toxic side effects, and reversal of drug resistance. This review indicates that AM holds promise not only as a therapy in breast cancer treatment but also paves the way for innovative integrated treatment approaches that combine the benefits of traditional medicine with modern pharmaceuticals. Nevertheless, future research endeavors are also urged to elucidate the in vivo pharmacological effects and underlying mechanisms of AM to inform more effective clinical treatment strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antitumor Agents from Natural Sources 2024)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop