The Synergism of Natural Compounds and Conventional Therapeutics against Colorectal Cancer Progression and Metastasis

¹ Faculty of Chinese Medicine and State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, 999078 Macao, China

² College of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Normal University, 311121 Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China

³ Department of Medical Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou Normal University, 310015 Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China

⁴ The First Clinical Medical College of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine Prevention and Treatment of Tumor, 210023 Nanjing, Jiangsu, China

⁵ Center for Medical Research and Innovation, the First Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, 410000 Changsha, Hunan, China

⁶ Key Laboratory of Elemene Class Anti-Cancer Chinese Medicines, 311121 Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China

⁷ Engineering Laboratory of Development and Application of Traditional Chinese Medicine from Zhejiang Province, 311121 Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China

⁸ Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Contaminants Exposure and Health, 510000 Guangzhou, Guangdong, China

⁹ Zhuhai MUST Science and Technology Research Institute, 519000 Zhuhai, Guangdong, China

¹⁰ Zhuhai Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, 519020 Zhuhai, Guangdong, China

^*Correspondence: qbwu@must.edu.mo (Qibiao Wu); haibocheng@njucm.edu.cn (Haibo Cheng); hzzju@hznu.edu.cn (Xinbing Sui)
^†These authors contributed equally.
Academic Editors: Antonio Barbieri and Francesca Bruzzese

Front. Biosci. (Landmark Ed) 2022, 27(9), 263; https://doi.org/10.31083/j.fbl2709263

Submitted: 26 June 2022 | Revised: 22 July 2022 | Accepted: 29 July 2022 | Published: 16 September 2022

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights against Cancer Progression and Metastasis)

This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.

Abstract

Cancer progression and metastases are the leading causes of poor outcomes in patients with colon cancer. Colon cancer metastasis is a multigene, multistep, multistage complex process in which target genes, microRNAs, epithelial-stromal transformation, tumour stem cells, the tumour microenvironment, and various cell signalling pathways are implicated in the progression and metastasis of colon cancer. Although conventional therapies have made significant advances in treating the progression and metastasis of colorectal cancer, they have failed to improve survival outcomes. Natural compounds may have more significant potential in preventing and treating colon cancer. Active natural compounds exert their antitumor effects by inducing tumour cell differentiation, promoting tumour cell apoptosis, inhibiting tumour vascular growth, and regulating immunity. Natural compounds, combined with conventional therapies, can target mutant genes and various cellular signalling pathways, inhibit epithelial-stromal transformation, and improve the tumour microenvironment to inhibit tumour progression and metastasis. The synergism of natural compounds and conventional therapeutics has the potential to become a promising therapy for treating colorectal cancer progression and metastases.

Keywords

natural compounds

conventional therapeutics

colorectal cancer

progression and metastasis

drug combination

Funding

0098/2021/A2/Science and Technology Development Fund, Macau SAR

130/2017/A3/Science and Technology Development Fund, Macau SAR

0099/2018/A3/Science and Technology Development Fund, Macau SAR

2020B1212030008/Science and Technology Planning Project of Guangdong Province

Figures

Fig. 1.

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