Unveiling the potential anti-cancer activity of calycosin against multivarious cancers with molecular insights: A promising frontier in cancer research

Abstract

Background: Calycosin may be a potential candidate regarding chemotherapeutic agent, because already some studies against multivarious cancer have been made with this natural compound.

Aim: This review elucidated a brief overview of previous studies on calycosin potential effects on various cancers and its potential mechanism of action.

Methodology: Data retrieved by systematic searches of Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, and Scopus by using keywords including calycosin, cancer types, anti-cancer mechanism, synergistic, and pharmacokinetic and commonly used tools are BioRender, ChemDraw Professional 16.0, and ADMETlab 2.0.

Results: Based on our review, calycosin is available in nature and effective against around 15 different types of cancer. Generally, the anti-cancer mechanism of this compound is mediated through a variety of processes, including regulation of apoptotic pathways, cell cycle, angiogenesis and metastasis, oncogenes, enzymatic pathways, and signal transduction process. These study conducted in various study models, including in silico, in vitro, preclinical and clinical models. The molecular framework behind the anti-cancer effect is targeting some oncogenic and therapeutic proteins and multiple signaling cascades. Therapies based on nano-formulated calycosin may make excellent nanocarriers for the delivery of this compound to targeted tissue as well as particular organ. This natural compound becomes very effective when combined with other natural compounds and some standard drugs. Moreover, proper use of this compound can reverse resistance to existing anti-cancer drugs through a variety of strategies. Calycosin showed better pharmacokinetic properties with less toxicity in human bodies.

Conclusion: Calycosin exhibits excellent potential as a therapeutic drug against several cancer types and should be consumed until standard chemotherapeutics are available in pharma markets.

Keywords: anti-cancer perspective; calycosin; molecular pharmacology; nanoformulation; pharmacokinetics; synergistic.

FIGURE 1

Chemical structure of calycosin.

FIGURE 2

A general mechanism for calycosin‐mediated apoptosis in human malignancies. Calycosin mediates entry through its receptor and activate Caspase 8, inactivate PARP. Furthermore, it increases ROS production and releases Cyt‐c and apaf‐1. All of these combined effects induce death of cancer cell.

FIGURE 3

The impact of calycosin on angiogenesis and metastasis in cancer cells. Figure outlines the progression of angiogenesis and metastasis by sequential mechanism. Calycosin interfere at angiogenesis by suppressing angiogenetic factor, including VEGF, MMPs, TGF‐β, VEGF, and TNF‐α, cell adhesion molecules such as E‐cadherin‐cadherin and Vimentin and invasion to blood vessel.

FIGURE 4

Calycosin modulate miroRNA (miRNA) to fight cancer cells. After interring to the nucleus, it directly alter the transcription and alter miRNA production. This sequence lead to translate some anti‐cancer proteins like apoptosis, cell proliferation, cell viability, hypoxia, and signaling molecules.

FIGURE 5

Diagrammatic representation of overcoming multidrug resistance by calycosin via targeting signaling mechanism.

FIGURE 6

Assessment of physicochemical properties of calycosin.

FIGURE 7

Overall graphical presentation of molecular mechanism of calycosin that mediates anti‐cancer properties.