The American journal of Chinese medicine
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In recent years, due to advancements in medical conditions and the development of scientific research, the fundamental research of TCM antitumor treatments has progressed from the cellular level to the molecular and genetic levels. Previous studies have demonstrated the significant role of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in antitumor therapy through various mechanisms and pathways. Its mechanism of action is closely associated with cancer biology across different stages. ⋯ Through our review, we found that TCM not only directly inhibits tumors, but also enhances the body's immunity, thereby indirectly inducing an antitumor effect. This function aligns with the TCM theory of "strengthening the body's resistance to eliminate pathogenic factors". Furthermore, TCM will play a significant role in tumor treatment in clinical settings.
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Metabolic syndrome (MetS) represents a considerable clinical and public health burden worldwide. Mangiferin (MF), a flavonoid compound present in diverse species such as mango (Mangifera indica L.), papaya (Pseudocydonia sinensis (Thouin) C. K. ⋯ These, however, warrant further experimental validation. Moreover, molecular docking techniques confirmed the plausibility of the predicted outcomes. Hereafter, these findings might form the theoretical bedrock for prospective research into MF's therapeutic potential in MetS therapy.
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Review
Ferroptosis: A New Research Direction of Artemisinin and Its Derivatives in Anti-Cancer Treatment.
Ferroptosis, an iron-dependent cell death mechanism driven by an accumulation of lipid peroxides on cellular membranes, has emerged as a promising strategy to treat various diseases, including cancer. Ferroptosis inducers not only exhibit cytotoxic effects on multiple cancer cells, including drug-resistant cancer variants, but also hold potential as adjuncts to enhance the efficacy of other anti-cancer therapies, such as immunotherapy. In addition to synthetic inducers, natural compounds, such as artemisinin, can be considered ferroptosis inducers. ⋯ Artemisinin and artemisinin derivatives (ARTEs) upregulate intracellular free iron levels and promote the accumulation of intracellular lipid peroxides to induce cancer cell ferroptosis, alleviating cancer development and resulting in strong anti-cancer effects in vitro and in vivo. In this review, we introduce the mechanisms of ferroptosis, summarize the research on ARTEs-induced ferroptosis in cancer cells, and discuss the clinical research progress and current challenges of ARTEs in anti-cancer treatment. This review deepens the current understanding of the relationship between ARTEs and ferroptosis and provides a theoretical basis for the clinical anti-cancer application of ARTEs in the future.
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Liver fibrosis is a common complication of chronic liver disease, significantly affecting patients' quality of life and potentially leading to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Despite advancements in modern medicine, the treatment of liver fibrosis remains limited and challenging. Thus, identifying new therapeutic strategies is of great clinical importance. ⋯ The active ingredients in these medicines can inhibit hepatic inflammatory responses and fibrotic processes by interfering with these pathways, thus reducing the severity of liver fibrosis. This paper aims to investigate the mechanisms of Chinese medicine in treating liver fibrosis and its modulation of related signaling pathways. Additionally, it discusses the prospects of the clinical application of these treatments and provides valuable references for further research and clinical practice.
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Review
Natural Products in the Modulation of Farnesoid X Receptor Against Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a global health concern with a high prevalence and increasing economic burden, but official medicine remains unavailable. Farnesoid X receptor (FXR), a nuclear receptor member, is one of the most promising drug targets for NAFLD therapy that plays a crucial role in modulating bile acid, glucose, and lipid homeostasis, as well as inhibits hepatic inflammation and fibrosis. ⋯ The anti-NAFLD mechanisms seem to act as FXR agonists and antagonists or are involved in the FXR signaling pathway activation, indicating a promising target of FXR therapeutic prospects using natural products. This review discusses the effective mechanisms of FXR in NAFLD alleviation, and summarizes currently available natural products such as silymarin, glycyrrhizin, cycloastragenol, berberine, and gypenosides, for targeting FXR, which can facilitate development of naturally targeted drug by medicinal specialists for effective treatment of NAFLD.