Cancer Stem Cells: The Potential Targets of Chinese Medicines and Their Active Compounds

Abstract

The pivotal role of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in the initiation and progression of malignancies has been rigorously validated, and the specific methods for identifying and isolating the CSCs from the parental cancer population have also been rapidly developed in recent years. This review aims to provide an overview of recent research progress of Chinese medicines (CMs) and their active compounds in inhibiting tumor progression by targeting CSCs. A great deal of CMs and their active compounds, such as Antrodia camphorate, berberine, resveratrol, and curcumin have been shown to regress CSCs, in terms of reversing drug resistance, inducing cell death and inhibiting cell proliferation as well as metastasis. Furthermore, one of the active compounds in coptis, berbamine may inhibit tumor progression by modulating microRNAs to regulate CSCs. The underlying molecular mechanisms and related signaling pathways involved in these processes were also discussed and concluded in this paper. Overall, the use of CMs and their active compounds may be a promising therapeutic strategy to eradicate cancer by targeting CSCs. However, further studies are needed to clarify the potential of clinical application of CMs and their active compounds as complementary and alternative therapy in this field.

Suppression of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression through FOXM1 and EMT Inhibition via Hydroxygenkwanin-Induced miR-320a Expression

“…With advancements in substance extraction and component identification technologies, the effective ingredients of many Chinese medicinal herbs have been successfully purified and their functions identified [20]. Certain Chinese medicinal herbal extracts, such as artemisinin and curcumin, are already being used in cancer treatment and have been proven to both suppress tumor growth and metastasis and prolong patient survival [21][22][23][24][25]. Compared with Western medicine, these natural compounds trigger relatively milder physiological side reactions and are highly suitable for use as adjuvants to other drugs for the enhancement of treatment efficacy.…”

Prospect of natural products in glioma: A novel avenue in glioma management

“…Berberine downregulates several CSC markers such as Nestin, Sox2, Notch2, CD133, and Nanog. Moreover, it has also an apoptotic‐inducing and antimigratory effect (Hong et al, ; Naveen, Gaikwad, & Agrawal‐Rajput, ; Taylor & Jabbarzadeh, ). Sulforaphane is another natural compound present in the human diet.…”

“…β‐carotene also suppresses the self‐renewal ability of CSCs in neuroblastoma and inhibits recurrence and metastasis (Scarpa & Ninfali, ). Oxymatrine is a quinolizidine alkaloid, which has been reported to revert the resistance property of CSCs, but the mechanism has not been revealed (Hong et al, ). Capsaicin inhibits the growth of CSCs by interfering with Notch signaling pathway (Shim & Song, ).…”

Hydroxygenkwanin Inhibits Class I HDAC Expression and Synergistically Enhances the Antitumor Activity of Sorafenib in Liver Cancer Cells

“…Compared with drugs of Western medicine, these natural compounds have low physiological side effects and are thus suitable for use as therapeutic adjuvants in combination with other drugs to improve efficacy (25,26). Currently, drugs such as artemisinin and curcumin have been used in the treatment of liver cancer and have been confirmed to considerably inhibit tumor growth and metastasis and to prolong patient survival (27)(28)(29). Certain…”