Anti-Tumor Effects of Osthole on Different Malignant Tissues: A Review of Molecular Mechanisms

Author(s):

Milad Ashrafizadeh, Reza Mohammadinejad, Saeed Samarghandian, Habib Yaribeygi*, Thomas P. Johnston and Amirhossein Sahebkar*   Pages 918 - 931 ( 14 )

Abstract:

Cancer management and/or treatment require a comprehensive understanding of the molecular and signaling pathways involved. Recently, much attention has been directed to these molecular and signaling pathways, and it has been suggested that a number of biomolecules/players involved in such pathways, such as PI3K/Akt, NF-κB, STAT, and Nrf2 contribute to the progression, invasion, proliferation, and metastasis of malignant cells. Synthetic anti-tumor agents and chemotherapeutic drugs have been a mainstay in cancer therapy and are widely used to suppress the progression and, hopefully, halt the proliferation of malignant cells. However, these agents have some undesirable side-effects and, therefore, naturally-occurring compounds with high potency and fewer side-effects are now of great interest. Osthole is a plant-derived chemical compound that can inhibit the proliferation of malignant cells and provide potent anti-cancer effects in various tissues. Therefore, in this review, we presented the main findings concerning the potential anti-tumor effects of osthole and its derivatives and described possible molecular mechanisms by which osthole may suppress malignant cell proliferation in different tissues.

Keywords:

Osthole, cancer therapy, signaling pathway, herbal medicine, PI3K/Akt, NF-κB, STAT.

Affiliation:

Department of Basic Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Pharmaceutics Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences, Neyshabur, Research Center of Physiology, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Division of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, Halal Research Center of IRI, FDA, Tehran

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