Resveratrol and cellular mechanisms of cancer prevention

The use of novel and improved chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agents for the prevention and treatment of cancer is on the rise. Natural products have always afforded a rich source of such agents. Epidemiological evidence suggests that a higher flavonoid intake is associated with low cancer risk. Accumulating data clearly indicate that the induction of apoptosis is an important component in the chemoprevention of cancer by naturally occurring dietary agents. Resveratrol, a naturally occurring polyphenol, demonstrates pleiotropic health benefits, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiaging, cardioprotective, and neuroprotective activities. Because of these properties and their wide distribution throughout the plant kingdom, resveratrol is envisioned as a potential chemopreventive/curative agent. Currently, a number of preclinical findings from our lab and elsewhere suggest resveratrol to be a promising natural weapon in the war against cancer. Remarkable progress in elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying the anticancer properties of resveratrol has been achieved. Here, we focus on some of the myriad pathways that resveratrol targets to exert its chemopreventive role and advocate that resveratrol holds tremendous potential as an efficient anticancer drug of the future.