Breast cancer remains a major cause of death in the United States as well as the rest of the world. In view of the limited treatment options for patients with advanced breast cancer, preventive and novel therapeutic approaches play an important role in combating this disease. The plant-derived triterpenoids, commonly used for medicinal purposes in many Asian countries, posses various pharmacological properties. A large number of triterpenoids are known to exhibit cytotoxicity against a variety of tumor cells as well as anticancer efficacy in preclinical animal models. Numerous triterpenoids have been synthesized by structural modification of natural compounds. Some of these analogs are considered to be the most potent antiinflammatory and anticarcinogenic triterpenoids known. This review examines the potential role of natural triterpenoids and their derivatives in the chemoprevention and treatment of mammary tumors. Both in vitro and in vivo effects of these agents and related molecular mechanisms are presented. Potential challenges and future directions involved in the advancement of these promising compounds in the prevention and therapy of human breast cancer are also identified.

Cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled proliferation of cells that have transformed from the normal cells of the body. The widely used cancer drugs suffers from the drawback of high toxicity not within the reach of a common man. This urgently necessitating the screening of these compounds. This review focuses on the major contributions of preclinical screening models to anticancer drug development over the years till recent times, from the empirical drug screening of cytotoxic agents against uncharacterized tumor models to the target-orientated drug screening of agents with defined mechanisms of action,, a general transition has been observed. The newer approaches to anticancer drug development involve the molecular characterization of models along with an appreciation of the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetic properties of compounds [e. g., the US National Cancer Institute (NCI) in vitro 60-cell line panel, hollow fibre assay, and s. c. xenograft]. In vivo tumor models including orthotopic, metastatic, and genetically engineered mouse models are also reviewed. The preclinical screening efforts of the European are also included. In 2015 with the rapid development of cancer modeling in zebrafish, great opportunities exist for chemical screens to find anticancer drug since 1970 the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer and Cancer Research UK, have been collaborating with the NCI in the acquisition and screening of compounds.

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In the Hubei region of China, a pneumonia outbreak occurred in December 2019, which was confirmed to be caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). It quickly became known as Coronavirus Disease 2019 or simply COVID-19, a pandemic that continues to devastate countries across the world. Through this COVID-19 pandemic, pharmacists across the globe have continued to offer direct patient care and provided frontline service to society. However, while the frontline staff is heralded, they are relegated to the background and overlooked most of the time. The most reachable healthcare providers are pharmacists because they can provide direct medical services despite tight regulations and restrictions related to the pandemic. During this pandemic, the involvement of pharmacists to handle COVID-19 and its complications proved to be crucial in alleviating the burden on the already strained healthcare system. They have provided very important services such as distributing medications to patients, encouraging adherence to medications for better control of chronic diseases, consulting on minor illnesses, clarifying myths regarding COVID-19, and contributing to COVID-19 screening. The treatment or management of COVID-19 was based on initial findings but is now being updated several times based on viral mutation, different studies across the globe, etc. This review focuses on recent clinical updates and tools that would help pharmacists with a more systematic approach to properly handling COVID-19 and its complications.

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