Sulforaphane: An emergent anti-cancer stem cell agent

Cancer is a major public health concern worldwide responsible for high morbidity and mortality rates. Alternative therapies have been extensively investigated, and plant-derived compounds have caught the attention of the scientific community due to their chemopreventive and anticancer effects. Sulforaphane (SFN) is one of these naturally occurring agents, and studies have shown that it is able to target a specific cancer cell population displaying stem-like properties, known as cancer stem cells (CSCs). These cells can self-renewal and differentiate to form highly heterogeneous tumor masses. Notably, most of the conventional chemotherapeutic agents cannot target CSCs once they usually exist in a quiescent state and overall, the available cytotoxic drugs focus on highly dividing cells. This is, at least in part, one of the reasons why some oncologic patients relapse after standard therapy. In this review we bring together studies supporting not only the chemopreventive and anticancer properties of SFN, but especially the emerging anti-CSCs effects of this natural product and its potential to be used with conventional antineoplastic drugs in the clinical setting.

Automated summary

Cancer is a global public health problem with high morbidity and mortality rates. Plant-derived compounds, particularly sulforaphane (SFN), have shown chemopreventive and anticancer effects. SFN has also demonstrated the ability to target cancer stem cells (CSCs), a specific population of cancer cells with stem-like properties. This is particularly significant as most conventional chemotherapeutic agents cannot effectively target CSCs, which often exist in a quiescent state. SFN has the potential to be used in combination with conventional antineoplastic drugs in clinical settings.