scholarly journals ACNPD: The Database for Elucidating the Relationships Between Natural Products, Compounds, Molecular Mechanisms, and Cancer Types

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaojie Tan ◽  
Jiahui Fu ◽  
Zhaoxin Yuan ◽  
Lingjuan Zhu ◽  
Leilei Fu
Keyword(s):  
Natural Products ◽  
Chinese Medicine ◽  
Traditional Chinese Medicine ◽  
Signaling Pathways ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Cancer Drugs ◽  
Internal Factors ◽  
Online Resource ◽  
Anti Cancer ◽  
Cancer Types

Objectives: Cancer is well-known as a collection of diseases of uncontrolled proliferation of cells caused by mutated genes which are generated by external or internal factors. As the mechanisms of cancer have been constantly revealed, including cell cycle, proliferation, apoptosis and so on, a series of new emerging anti-cancer drugs acting on each stage have also been developed. It is worth noting that natural products are one of the important sources for the development of anti-cancer drugs. To the best of our knowledge, there is not any database summarizing the relationships between natural products, compounds, molecular mechanisms, and cancer types.Materials and methods: Based upon published literatures and other sources, we have constructed an anti-cancer natural product database (ACNPD) (http://www.acnpd-fu.com/). The database currently contains 521 compounds, which specifically refer to natural compounds derived from traditional Chinese medicine plants (derivatives are not considered herein). And, it includes 1,593 molecular mechanisms/signaling pathways, covering 10 common cancer types, such as breast cancer, lung cancer and cervical cancer.Results: Integrating existing data sources, we have obtained a large amount of information on natural anti-cancer products, including herbal sources, regulatory targets and signaling pathways. ACNPD is a valuable online resource that illustrates the complex pharmacological relationship between natural products and human cancers.Conclusion: In summary, ACNPD is crucial for better understanding of the relationships between traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and cancer, which is not only conducive to expand the influence of TCM, but help to find more new anti-cancer drugs in the future.

scholarly journals In silico identification of anti-cancer compounds and plants from traditional Chinese medicine database

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shao-Xing Dai ◽  
Wen-Xing Li ◽  
Fei-Fei Han ◽  
Yi-Cheng Guo ◽  
Jun-Juan Zheng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chinese Medicine ◽  
Traditional Chinese Medicine ◽  
Cancer Drug ◽  
Cancer Drugs ◽  
Supportive Role ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Anti Cancer ◽  
Approved Drugs ◽  
Alternative Resource

Abstract There is a constant demand to develop new, effective, and affordable anti-cancer drugs. The traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a valuable and alternative resource for identifying novel anti-cancer agents. In this study, we aim to identify the anti-cancer compounds and plants from the TCM database by using cheminformatics. We first predicted 5278 anti-cancer compounds from TCM database. The top 346 compounds were highly potent active in the 60 cell lines test. Similarity analysis revealed that 75% of the 5278 compounds are highly similar to the approved anti-cancer drugs. Based on the predicted anti-cancer compounds, we identified 57 anti-cancer plants by activity enrichment. The identified plants are widely distributed in 46 genera and 28 families, which broadens the scope of the anti-cancer drug screening. Finally, we constructed a network of predicted anti-cancer plants and approved drugs based on the above results. The network highlighted the supportive role of the predicted plant in the development of anti-cancer drug and suggested different molecular anti-cancer mechanisms of the plants. Our study suggests that the predicted compounds and plants from TCM database offer an attractive starting point and a broader scope to mine for potential anti-cancer agents.

scholarly journals Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Pristimerin in Cancer Therapy: Recent Advances

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Run-Ze Chen ◽  
Fei Yang ◽  
Min Zhang ◽  
Zhi-Gang Sun ◽  
Nan Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Chinese Medicine ◽  
Traditional Chinese Medicine ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Quinone Methide ◽  
Molecular Signaling ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Anti Cancer

Seeking an efficient and safe approach to eliminate tumors is a common goal of medical fields. Over these years, traditional Chinese medicine has attracted growing attention in cancer treatment due to its long history. Pristimerin is a naturally occurring quinone methide triterpenoid used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat various cancers. Recent studies have identified alterations in cellular events and molecular signaling targets of cancer cells under pristimerin treatment. Pristimerin induces cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, and autophagy to exhibit anti-proliferation effects against tumors. Pristimerin also inhibits the invasion, migration, and metastasis of tumor cells via affecting cell adhesion, cytoskeleton, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, cancer stem cells, and angiogenesis. Molecular factors and pathways are associated with the anti-cancer activities of pristimerin. Furthermore, pristimerin reverses multidrug resistance of cancer cells and exerts synergizing effects with other chemotherapeutic drugs. This review aims to discuss the anti-cancer potentials of pristimerin, emphasizing multi-targeted biological and molecular regulations in cancers. Further investigations and clinical trials are warranted to understand the advantages and disadvantages of pristimerin treatment much better.

Thymoquinone, an Active Compound of Nigella sativa: Role in Prevention and Treatment of Cancer

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (11) ◽  
pp. 1028-1041 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saleh A. Almatroodi ◽  
Ahmad Almatroudi ◽  
Mohammed A. Alsahli ◽  
Amjad A. Khan ◽  
Arshad H. Rahmani
Keyword(s):  
Natural Products ◽  
Side Effects ◽  
Cell Signaling ◽  
Signaling Pathways ◽  
Active Compound ◽  
Nigella Sativa ◽  
Cancer Drugs ◽  
Normal Cells ◽  
Anti Cancer ◽  
Cell Signaling Pathways

Background: Cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide and the current mode of cancer treatment causes side effects on normal cells and are still the key challenges in its’ treatment. However, natural products or active compounds of medicinal plants have shown to be safe, affordable, and effective in diseases cure. Methods: In this context, scientific studies evidence the health-promoting effects of natural products, which work through its anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer activity. Thymoquinone (TM), a predominant active compound of Nigella sativa, has confirmed anti-neoplastic activity through its ability to regulate various genetic pathways. In addition, thymoquinone has established anti-cancerous effects through killing of various cancerous cells,and inhibiting the initiation, migration, invasion, and progression of the cancer. The anti-cancer effects of TM are chiefly mediated via regulating various cell signaling pathways such as VEGF, bcl2/bax ratio, p53, NF-kB, and oncogenes. Results: The anti-cancer drugs have limitations in efficacy and also causes adverse side effects on normal cells. The combination of anti-cancer drugs and thymoquinone improves the efficacy of drugs which is evident by decrease resistance to drugs and regulation of various cell signaling pathways. Moreover, combination of anti-cancer drugs as well as thymoquinone shows synergistic effect on killing of cancer cells and cells viability. Thus, TM, in combination with anti-cancer drugs, can be a good strategy in the management of various types of cancer. Conclusion: In this review article, we deliver an outline of thymoquinone role in cancer inhibition and prevention of cancer-based on in vivo and in vitro studies. Further studies on thymoquinone based on clinical trials are highly required to explore the benefits of thymoquinone in cancer management.

scholarly journals Large-scale literature mining to assess the relation between anti-cancer drugs and cancer types

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Bauer ◽  
Ralf Herwig ◽  
Matthias Lienhard ◽  
Paul Prasse ◽  
Tobias Scheffer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Text Mining ◽  
Knowledge Base ◽  
Survival Data ◽  
Scientific Literature ◽  
Entity Recognition ◽  
Literature Mining ◽  
Cancer Drugs ◽  
Classical Text ◽  
Anti Cancer ◽  
Cancer Types

Abstract Background There is a huge body of scientific literature describing the relation between tumor types and anti-cancer drugs. The vast amount of scientific literature makes it impossible for researchers and physicians to extract all relevant information manually. Methods In order to cope with the large amount of literature we applied an automated text mining approach to assess the relations between 30 most frequent cancer types and 270 anti-cancer drugs. We applied two different approaches, a classical text mining based on named entity recognition and an AI-based approach employing word embeddings. The consistency of literature mining results was validated with 3 independent methods: first, using data from FDA approvals, second, using experimentally measured IC-50 cell line data and third, using clinical patient survival data. Results We demonstrated that the automated text mining was able to successfully assess the relation between cancer types and anti-cancer drugs. All validation methods showed a good correspondence between the results from literature mining and independent confirmatory approaches. The relation between most frequent cancer types and drugs employed for their treatment were visualized in a large heatmap. All results are accessible in an interactive web-based knowledge base using the following link: https://knowledgebase.microdiscovery.de/heatmap. Conclusions Our approach is able to assess the relations between compounds and cancer types in an automated manner. Both, cancer types and compounds could be grouped into different clusters. Researchers can use the interactive knowledge base to inspect the presented results and follow their own research questions, for example the identification of novel indication areas for known drugs.

scholarly journals Vitamin E beyond Its Antioxidant Label

Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 634
Author(s):  
Anca Ungurianu ◽  
Anca Zanfirescu ◽  
Georgiana Nițulescu ◽  
Denisa Margină
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin E ◽  
Signaling Pathways ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Protective Effects ◽  
Cellular Effects ◽  
Inflammatory Status ◽  
Anti Cancer ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Exciting Potential ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

Vitamin E, comprising tocopherols and tocotrienols, is mainly known as an antioxidant. The aim of this review is to summarize the molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways linked to inflammation and malignancy modulated by its vitamers. Preclinical reports highlighted a myriad of cellular effects like modulating the synthesis of pro-inflammatory molecules and oxidative stress response, inhibiting the NF-κB pathway, regulating cell cycle, and apoptosis. Furthermore, animal-based models have shown that these molecules affect the activity of various enzymes and signaling pathways, such as MAPK, PI3K/Akt/mTOR, JAK/STAT, and NF-κB, acting as the underlying mechanisms of their reported anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and anti-cancer effects. In clinical settings, not all of these were proven, with reports varying considerably. Nonetheless, vitamin E was shown to improve redox and inflammatory status in healthy, diabetic, and metabolic syndrome subjects. The anti-cancer effects were inconsistent, with both pro- and anti-malignant being reported. Regarding its neuroprotective properties, several studies have shown protective effects suggesting vitamin E as a potential prevention and therapeutic (as adjuvant) tool. However, source and dosage greatly influence the observed effects, with bioavailability seemingly a key factor in obtaining the preferred outcome. We conclude that this group of molecules presents exciting potential for the prevention and treatment of diseases with an inflammatory, redox, or malignant component.

scholarly journals The Chinese Medicinal Formulation Guzhi Zengsheng Zhitongwan Modulates Chondrocyte Structure, Dynamics, and Metabolism by Controlling Multiple Functional Proteins

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Baojin Yao ◽  
Bocheng Lu ◽  
Mei Zhang ◽  
Hongwei Gao ◽  
Xiangyang Leng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chinese Medicine ◽  
Traditional Chinese Medicine ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Research Field ◽  
Medical Systems ◽  
Cellular Processes ◽  
Structure Dynamics ◽  
National Medical ◽  
Medicinal Formulation

Traditional Chinese medicine is one of the oldest medical systems in the world and has its unique principles and theories in the prevention and treatment of human diseases, which are achieved through the interactions of different types of materia medica in the form of Chinese medicinal formulations. GZZSZTW, a classical and effective Chinese medicinal formulation, was designed and created by professor Bailing Liu who is the only national medical master professor in the clinical research field of traditional Chinese medicine and skeletal diseases. GZZSZTW has been widely used in clinical settings for several decades for the treatment of joint diseases. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are still largely unknown. In the present study, we performed quantitative proteomic analysis to investigate the effects of GZZSZTW on mouse primary chondrocytes using state-of-the-art iTRAQ technology. We demonstrated that the Chinese medicinal formulation GZZSZTW modulates chondrocyte structure, dynamics, and metabolism by controlling multiple functional proteins that are involved in the cellular processes of DNA replication and transcription, protein synthesis and degradation, cytoskeleton dynamics, and signal transduction. Thus, this study has expanded the current knowledge of the molecular mechanism of GZZSZTW treatment on chondrocytes. It has also shed new light on possible strategies to further prevent and treat cartilage-related diseases using traditional Chinese medicinal formulations.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the anti-cancer activity of the triterpenoidal saponin fraction isolated from the traditional Chinese medicine Conyza blinii H. Lév.

RSC Advances ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 3408-3412 ◽  
Author(s):  
Long Ma ◽  
Haiyan Liu ◽  
Lingpei Meng ◽  
Ping Qin ◽  
Botao Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chinese Medicine ◽  
Traditional Chinese Medicine ◽  
Anti Cancer ◽  
Saponin Fraction ◽  
Cancer Activity

Triterpenoidal saponins fraction isolated from a traditional Chinese medicine Conyza blinii H. Lév. demonstrates anti-cancer activity both in vitro and in vivo.

The impact of Traditional Chinese Medicine on mitophagy in disease models

2021 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li-Ping Yu ◽  
Ting-Ting Shi ◽  
Yan-Qin Li ◽  
Jian-Kang Mu ◽  
Ya-Qin Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chinese Medicine ◽  
Traditional Chinese Medicine ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Human Diseases ◽  
Regulatory Mechanisms ◽  
Disease Models ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

: Mitophagy plays an important role in maintaining mitochondrial quality and cell homeostasis through the degradation of damaged, aged, and dysfunctional mitochondria and misfolded proteins. Many human diseases, particularly neurodegenerative diseases, are related to disorders of mitochondrial phagocytosis. Exploring the regulatory mechanisms of mitophagy is of great significance for revealing the molecular mechanisms underlying the related diseases. Herein, we summarize the major mechanisms of mitophagy, the relationship of mitophagy with human diseases, and the role of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in mitophagy. These discussions enhance our knowledge of mitophagy and its potential therapeutic targets using TCM.

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