Chinese Medicines for Cancer Treatment from the Metabolomics Perspective

Abstract

Cancer is one of the most prevalent diseases all over the world with poor prognosis and the development of novel therapeutic strategies is still urgently needed. The large amount of successful experiences in fighting against cancer-like diseases with Chinese medicine has suggested it as a great source of alternative treatments to human cancers. Cancer cells have been shown to own a predominantly unique metabolic phenotype to facilitate their rapid proliferation. Metabolic reprogramming is a remarkable hallmark of cancer and therapies targeting cancer metabolism can be highly specific and effective. Based on the sophisticated study of small molecule metabolites, metabolomics can provide us valuable information on dynamically metabolic responses of living systems to certain environmental condition. In this chapter, we systematically reviewed recent studies on metabolism-targeting anticancer therapies based on metabolomics in terms of glucose, lipid, amino acid, and nucleotide metabolisms and other altered metabolisms, with special emphasis on the potential of metabolic treatment with pure compounds, herb extracts, and formulations from Chinese medicines. The trends of future development of metabolism-targeting anticancer therapies were also discussed. Overall, the elucidation of the underlying molecular mechanism of metabolism-targeting pharmacologic therapies will provide us a new insight to develop novel therapeutics for cancer treatment.

Medicinal plants with anti-mutagenic potential

“…The inhibitory activities of the two extracts on lipid peroxidation were comparable [107]. Extracts of C. zedoaria had a moderate antimutagenic effect against mutation induced by benzo [a] pyrene [9][10][11].…”

“…Anti-mutagenic activities of extracts of various medicinal plants have been evaluated by using the microsomal system/Salmonella to investigate whether they contain direct or indirect anti-mutagens. Many plant extracts show anti-mutagenic activity, including Pteris multifida, Smilax china and Prunella vulgaris [9][10][11]. For example, Sukumaran et al [12] reported the inhibition of tobacco-induced mutagenesis by eugenol and plant extracts.…”

The key role of sphingolipid metabolism in cancer: New therapeutic targets, diagnostic and prognostic values, and anti-tumor immunotherapy resistance

“…B-5354c, which is produced by a marine bacterium, inhibits SPHK1 and SPHK2 with similar efficiencies ( 131 ) and acts on sphingosine in a noncompetitive manner. B-5354c can reduce the size of PC-3 tumors in vivo when combined with the chemotherapy drug irinotecan and can sensitize PC-3 and LNCaP prostate cancer cells to chemotherapy drugs, such as docetaxel and camptothecin ( 132 ). B-5354c has been further demonstrated to act as a chemosensitizer of PC-3 cells when used in conjunction with docetaxel ( 133 ).…”