Journal
PHARMACOLOGICAL RESEARCH
Volume 170, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
ACADEMIC PRESS LTD- ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2021.105728
Keywords
Cancer cell metabolic reprogramming; Traditional Chinese medicine; Glycolysis; Lipid metabolism; Amino acid metabolism
Categories
Funding
- National Natural Science Foundation of China [81873054, 82074062]
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Metabolic reprogramming is crucial in cancer progression, and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with its bioactive components has shown promise in targeting cancer cells' metabolic pathways. TCM exerts its anti-tumor effects by regulating multiple metabolic processes in cancer cells, offering a potential natural approach for developing anti-tumor drugs.
Metabolic reprogramming, characterized by alterations of cellular metabolic patterns, is fundamentally important in supporting the malignant behaviors of cancer cells. It is considered as a promising therapeutic target against cancer. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and its bioactive components have been used in cancer therapy for an extended period, and they are well-known for their multi-target pharmacological functions and fewer side effects. However, the detailed and advanced mechanisms underlying the anticancer activities of TCM remain obscure. In this review, we summarized the critical processes of cancer cell metabolic reprogramming, including glycolysis, mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, glutaminolysis, and fatty acid biosynthesis. Moreover, we systemically reviewed the regulatory effects of TCM and its bioactive ingredients on metabolic enzymes and/or signal pathways that may impede cancer progress. A total of 46 kinds of TCMs was reported to exert antitumor effects and/or act as chemosensitizers via regulating metabolic processes of cancer cells, and multiple targets and signaling pathways were revealed to contribute to the metabolic-modulating functions of TCM. In conclusion, TCM has its advantages in ameliorating cancer cell metabolic reprogramming by its poly-pharmacological actions. This review may shed some new light on the explicit recognition of the mechanisms of anticancer actions of TCM, leading to the development of natural antitumor drugs based on reshaping cancer cell metabolism.
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