Pharmacotherapeutic values of berberine: A Chinese herbal medicine for the human cancer management

Berberine (BBR), a traditional Chinese phytomedicine extracted from various parts of Berberis plants, is an isoquinoline alkaloid used for centuries to treat diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, and so forth. It has recently received immense attention worldwide to treat cancer due to its potent pro-apoptotic, antiproliferative, and anti-inflammatory properties. BBR efficiently induces tumor apoptosis, replicative quiescence and abrogates cell proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, tumor neovascularization, and metastasis by modulating diverse molecular and cell signaling pathways. Furthermore, BBR could also reverse drug resistance, make tumor cells sensitive to current cancer treatment and significantly minimize the harmful side effects of cytotoxic therapies. This review comprehensively analyzed the pharmacological effects of BBR against the development, growth, progression, metastasis, and therapy resistance in wide varieties of cancer. Also, it critically discusses the significant limitations behind the development of BBR into pharmaceuticals to treat cancer and the future research directions to overcome these limitations.

Automated summary

Berberine (BBR), a traditional Chinese phytomedicine, has been used for centuries to treat diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, and now it has gained attention as a potential treatment for cancer due to its pro-apoptotic, antiproliferative, and anti-inflammatory properties. BBR induces tumor apoptosis, inhibits cell proliferation and metastasis, and reverses drug resistance, making it a promising candidate for cancer therapy. This review comprehensively analyzes the pharmacological effects of BBR in different types of cancer and discusses the limitations and future research directions for developing BBR into pharmaceuticals for cancer treatment.