Natural Radiosensitizers in Radiotherapy: Cancer Treatment by Combining Ionizing Radiation with Resveratrol

Abstract

Conventional cancer treatment is mainly based on the surgical removal of the tumor followed by radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. When surgical removal is not possible, radiotherapy and, less often, chemotherapy is the only way to treat patients. However, despite significant progress in understanding the molecular mechanisms of carcinogenesis and developments in modern radiotherapy techniques, radiotherapy (alone or in combination) does not always guarantee treatment success. One of the main causes is the radioresistance of cancer cells. Increasing the radiosensitivity of cancer cells improves the processes leading to their elimination during radiotherapy and prolonging the survival of cancer patients. In order to enhance the effect of radiotherapy in the treatment of radioresistant neoplasms, radiosensitizers are used. In clinical practice, synthetic radiosensitizers are commonly applied, but scientists have recently focused on using natural products (phytocompounds) as adjuvants in radiotherapy. In this review article, we only discuss naturally occurring radiosensitizers currently in clinical trials (paclitaxel, curcumin, genistein, and papaverine) and those whose radiation sensitizing effects, such as resveratrol, have been repeatedly confirmed by many independent studies.

Targeting mTOR and Survivin Concurrently Potentiates Radiation Therapy in Renal Cell Carcinoma by Suppressing DNA Damage Repair and Amplifying Mitotic Catastrophe

“…Radiosensitization is a process aimed at heightening the vulnerability of cancer cells to radiation-induced damage, while simultaneously minimizing potential harm to the adjacent healthy tissues. Radiosensitizers can affect cancer cells in various ways including increasing ROS within the cancer cells, inhibiting DNA repair mechanisms, modifying the tumor microenvironment, and targeting specific molecular pathways or proteins involved in cell survival and radiation resistance ( 46 ). In recent years, there has been a substantial surge in interest regarding the use of radiosensitizers to augment the efficacy of radiotherapy.…”

Active Ingredients from Chinese Medicine for Combination Cancer Therapy

“…It is worth pointing out that clinical studies of those AIFCM acting as drug resistance inhibitors in chemotherapy are still insufficient, and the corresponding large clinical trials need to be proposed [237,238]. A similar situation has been encountered in clinical studies of AIFCM as sensitizers for radiotherapy, with the majority of clinical trials of AIFCM (such as paclitaxel, curcumin and genistein) for sensitizing radiotherapy still ongoing, and a few studies demonstrating the effectiveness of AIFCM in improving the therapeutic outcomes of radiotherapy [193,198,239]. For instance, fructus bruceae oil (oral administration, 20mL, 3 times daily for 12 weeks) was reported to reduce the side effect like esophageal obstruction and improve the therapeutic result of radiotherapy in patients with grade II-III squamous cell carcinoma [239].…”

Resveratrol Supplements Reduce the Risk of Aging-Related Cardiac Disease after Cardiorespiratory Fitness

“…Resveratrol supplementation intake is established regarding the major requirements for cardiorespiratory fitness and increased safety. Anti-aging effects of resveratrol supplementation improved physicochemical characterization and reversed diastolic pressure, cardiovascular remodeling, and cardiac functions [16]. Resveratrol supplements polyphenols have been reported for delaying aging and age-related cardiovascular diseases.…”