Cancer and Natural Products: An Overview
Cancer and natural products: an overview is intended for both undergraduate and post graduate-level students (including medical students) and employees in the pharmaceutical industry interested in learning about how a normal cell becomes transformed into a cancer cell. Signaling pathways of a cell detect and respond to changes in the environment and regulate normal cellular activities. Cells contain many receptors on their membrane that allow a signal from outside the cell (e.g. growth factors) to be transmitted to the inside of the cell. The relay of information may cause a change in cell behavior or in gene expression, and results in a cellular response. Interference in these signal transduction pathways has grave consequences and may lead to the transformation of a normal cell into a cancer cell. The identification of the malfunctions of specific pathways involved in carcinogenesis provides scientists with molecular targets that can be used to generate new cancer therapeutics. I have chosen to present the biology of cancer together with a promise to design and formulate effective anti-cancer drugs from Mother Nature with negligible side effects and to replace the conventional therapies. I hope that this presentation stimulates interest and motivates learning of the subject matter. Efforts have been made to avoid overburdening the students/readers with preceding information and get laden with lucid and latest information in the field of cancer and its natural therapeutics. The author’s primary goal has been clear writing and meaningful figures. All attempts have been made in the present work to provide an integrated approach covering an overview of cancer biology, cancer genetics, carcinogenesis and promising loom from Mother Nature. I hope that this presentation stimulates interest and motivates learning of the subject matter. You may reach author at: [email protected]