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Review
. 2015 Jan 6;7(1):321-34.
doi: 10.3390/nu7010321.

Molecular targets of naturopathy in cancer research: bridge to modern medicine

Affiliations
Review

Molecular targets of naturopathy in cancer research: bridge to modern medicine

Aamir Ahmad et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

The relevance of naturopathy (defined as the practice of medicine for the treatment of human diseases with natural agents) in human cancer is beginning to be appreciated, as documented by renewed interest in nutraceutical research, the natural anticancer agents of dietary origin. Because of their pleiotropic effects and the ability to modulate multiple signaling pathways, which is a good attribute of natural agents, nutraceuticals have frequently been demonstrated to re-sensitize drug-resistant cancers. The effectiveness of nutraceuticals can be further enhanced if the tools for the relative assessment of their molecular targets are readily available. Such information can be critical for determining their most effective uses. Here, we discuss the anticancer potential of nutraceuticals and the associated challenges that have interfered with their translational potential as a naturopathic approach for the management of cancers. In the years to come, an efficient screening and assessment of molecular targets will be the key to make rapid progress in the area of drug design and discovery, especially focusing on evidence-based development of naturopathy for the treatment of human malignancies.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The importance of nutraceuticals as anticancer agents is increasingly being recognized. They hold a lot of promise, as evidenced by multiple reports on their ability to modulate key signaling pathways/molecules that influence tumorigenicity. However, some challenges, particularly their bioavailability, have hindered their progress through clinical trials. In order to realize the true potential of nutraceuticals as anticancer agents, the challenges need to be overcome.

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