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Review
. 2025 Mar 5:16:1514486.
doi: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1514486. eCollection 2025.

Natural products modulating MAPK for CRC treatment: a promising strategy

Lin Zhou  1 , Jinlong Zhang  1 , Kangning Zhao  1 , Bo Chen  2 , Zhen Sun  3
Affiliations
Review

Natural products modulating MAPK for CRC treatment: a promising strategy

Lin Zhou et al. Front Pharmacol. .

Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common malignant tumor of the digestive system, and the pathogenic mechanism is still unclear, mostly related to genetics, immunity, inflammation, and abnormal activation of tumor-related signaling pathways. MAPK belongs to the Ser/Thr kinase family, which plays an important role in complex cellular programs such as the regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, angiogenesis, and tumor metastasis. Increasing evidence supports that MAPK activation is highly correlated with the risk of CRC. Targeting MAPK may be a therapeutic strategy, and natural products show great therapeutic potential in regulating MAPK-related proteins. In this paper, we searched PubMed, Web of Science and CNKI databases with keywords "colorectal cancer, natural products, MAPK pathway, ERK, P38, JNK" for relevant studies in the last 14 years from 2010 to 2024. This work retrieved 47 studies, aiming to provide new therapeutic strategies for CRC patients and lay the foundation for new drug development.

Keywords: ERK; JNK; MAPK pathway; colorectal cancer; natural products; p38.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Mechanism of MAPK. Created with Biorender.com.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
The mechanism of natural products modulating MAPK for CRC. Created with Biorender.com.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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