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Review
. 2022 Nov 4;23(21):13558.
doi: 10.3390/ijms232113558.

Natural Products for Esophageal Cancer Therapy: From Traditional Medicine to Modern Drug Discovery

Jeongeun An  1 , Soojin An  1 , Min Choi  1 , Ji Hoon Jung  1 , Bonglee Kim  1
Affiliations
Review

Natural Products for Esophageal Cancer Therapy: From Traditional Medicine to Modern Drug Discovery

Jeongeun An et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Esophageal cancer (EC) is one of the most malignant types of cancer worldwide and has a high incidence and mortality rate in Asian countries. When it comes to treating EC, although primary methods such as chemotherapy and surgery exist, the prognosis remains poor. The purpose of this current research is to review the range of effects that natural products have on cancer by analyzing studies conducted on EC. Fifty-seven studies were categorized into four anti-cancer mechanisms, as well as clinical trials. The studies that were scrutinized in this research were all reported within five years. The majority of the substances reviewed induced apoptosis in EC, acting on a variety of mechanisms. Taken together, this study supports the fact that natural products have the potential to act as a candidate for treating EC.

Keywords: angiogenesis; apoptosis; esophageal cancer; herbal medicine; metastasis; natural product; resistance; traditional medicine.

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Conflict of interest statement

Authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Schematic diagram of apoptosis-inducing natural products in Esophageal Cancer.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Schematic diagram of angiogenesis-inhibiting natural products in esophageal cancer.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Schematic diagram of metastasis-inhibiting natural products in esophageal cancer.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Schematic diagram of resistance-sensitizing natural products in esophageal cancer.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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