Molecular Research of Natural Products in Cancer Diseases

Dear Colleagues,

Cancer is a significant public health concern because of its heterogenicity and prevalence, which has risen dramatically in the last decades. Metastasis and multi-drug resistance are the main obstacles to successful treatment. Conventional and complementary therapeutic approaches try to improve life quality and extend survival; however, these still fail in combatting cancer diseases. Most target specific therapies did not provide successful results. Additionally, more patients decline conventional cancer treatment, mainly due to the severe side effects it entails. Natural products and their constituents have recently received increasing interest because of their modulating actions in tumour microenvironment, underlying signalling pathways and epigenetic alterations, indicating a potential role in primary prevention and therapy. Natural bioactive compounds are investigated separately, in combinations and in functional food and cosmetics. These products implement antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative activities. Cancer cells attenuation and growth inhibition capacity have been reported in vitro and in vivo. However, it is yet to be clarified whether compounds from a natural origin could play a pivotal role in fathoming the regulation of cancer cells mechanisms and refrain immune escape, while no significant adverse effects are observed.

In this Special Issue, promising natural compounds derived from plants, marine organisms and microorganisms will be presented regarding all aspects of cancer prevention and treatment, including their chemical composition, properties, signalling modulation, experimental and clinical application, safety, and effectiveness.

Dr. Angeliki Tiptiri-Kourpeti
Guest Editor

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• cancer
• natural products
• drug resistance
• side effects
• bioactive compounds
• prevention
• treatment
• signaling pathways
• tumor microenvironment